Buried between the Seals beating the Pirates and saving the Captain and the new first dog was this story about cities and states coming up with the darnedest things to tax.

In Ohio, the governor has proposed more than 150 new or increased fees in his budget, including an increase to renew a livestock license, register a car, and order a birth certificate. The governor of Wisconsin wants to charge slaughterhouses for each animal it slaughters. Here in Washington, DC, the mayor is seeking to impose a "streetlight user fee" of $4.25 a month to city residents as part of their electricity bill. And in New York City, they expanded their anti-idling law and will fine any parent 100 bucks if he or she idles a car near a school for more than a minute.

Here in the beverage industry we've seen our share of legislators taking their swings at our products. But the people have told them no. Just in the last six months voters in Maine and New York were successful in getting taxes overturned or withdrawn. But the battles continue.

It is especially vexing that states and localities are seeking new ways to take people's money in this already difficult economy. President Obama, in his speech accepting the Democratic nomination said, "In an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class."

We agree with the president and we stand with the citizens who are saying "enough is enough". Taxes take money out of people's hands who are trying to pay their bills and maybe buy some new clothes. These are tough times in America and forcing people to pay more in taxes will only make it tougher.