Today we thought we’d share a letter to the editor from The Baltimore Sun that we recently read.  It lays out a number of good arguments for why Baltimore City should not increase and extend indefinitely the tax on beverage containers sold in the city.  Check out the full text of the letter here, and an excerpt below:

“The Sun misses the broader economic implications the tax would have on residents who are already heavily assessed. Higher taxes curb economic activity as fewer hard-working families are able to purchase needed goods and services. How much more can citizens take in a city where the median household income is $39,000 a year? Ratcheting up taxes on individuals and organizations that employ local people will end up destroying jobs when the unemployment is already more than 9 percent…Why destroy jobs and burden the hardworking families in Baltimore with a plan that is suspect and doesn't fully address the systemic problems with school infrastructure funding? What The Sun and some in City Council refuse to believe is that these jobs matter. This tax threatens a variety of good-paying jobs, including sales representatives, forklift operators, truck drivers, grocery store clerks and warehouse managers…The citizens of Baltimore and their children who attend public schools deserve better than a "good start." They deserve a serious plan that is free of gimmickry and the typical knee-jerk response that another tax will make everything better. The City Council should address this issue in a comprehensive manner that puts Baltimore on a sustainable path for years to come.”

Well said!  Let us know what you think by connecting with us on Facebook and Twitter.