Comments on: Get Involved: Stop the Proposed Increase of Federal Beer Tax

By: BigSteve

BigSteve — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:03:51 +0000

Beer, soda, bottled water should all have a tax, an equal tax to pay for clean up of the mess left by partakers. Look at our highways and parks and see the mess left by people just throwing empty containers along the sides. Broken glass and crushed plastic littering the most beautiful country in the world. All alcoholic beverages should have an additional tax to pay for the damage done by drunks. A “proof” based tax is as fair as it can be. Suppose our wasted military budget (we haven’t “won” a war since 1945) were funded entirely by a beverage tax instead of the fascist plan just to keep borrowing from China….? Tie military waste to public consumption…. Then we could brag that we were having just “one more beer for Uncle Sam”….

By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:34:51 +0000

Canadian here, the piss Americans call beer isn’t worthy of a tax from a reputable government! Goddamn! You are sinking fast Yankee doodle! goddamn! Make your own, from Canadian beerkits, or even Australian kits! Some are available from Germany and Britain too! but drink real beer, not that chemical piss they sell you at your stores, and pay no goddamned tax at all! Web-sites are full of recipes to make beer right from barley! Very cheap, very labor intensive, but no tax at all!

By: Steve Marler

Steve Marler — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:36:58 +0000

Here is an example letter I sent. You can use it as a template. It is Virginia specific.

Dear Senator (fill in last name)
I am writing you in regards to the proposed increase in the excise tax on beer. If such a proposal becomes reality, there is no question that many small brewery businesses will suffer, some will close and consumers will face higher prices and diminished choice in the marketplace. This is not the solution for funding health care reform. I am against this proposed increase and I hope that you are also.
Proposals to increase and equalize the tax among all types of alcohol will tax small brewers at the highest rates because their specialty, gourmet and innovative beers typically have higher alcohol contents. Brewers already pay a disproportionately higher share of taxes compared with other products – federal, state and local taxes represent over 40% of the retail price for beer while the same taxes equal nearly 24% of the price for all other purchases.
Higher taxes will worsen the economic recession – resulting in less competitive products, reduced sales and revenues, lost jobs and, for some small brewers, business closures.
• $1 per case excise tax increase will typically cost the consumer at least $1.69 due to successive mark-ups as the case moves from brewer to wholesaler to retailer.
• Many small brewers are struggling to deal with the consequences of the 2008 spike in ingredient and operational costs.
Small brewers are small Main Street businesses, typically employing 10 to 50 employees. Small brewers represent only 4% of the entire U.S. beer market by volume, with 95% of them being very small businesses (producing 15,000 barrels or less per year). The State of Virginia has many small brewers, and that number is increasing. A Virginia beer trail has just been established, and this trail will spur tourism. Such a tax would jeopardize this positive trend. Let us not forget, as we hear all the time during political campaigns, small business is the engine of our economy.
Please contact your colleagues on the Finance Committee and express your opposition to this proposal moving forward.

Thank you for your support on this issue.

Your humble constituent,
(your name)

By: Good Burp

Good Burp — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:07:23 +0000

When I first read this, I was shocked. It has been an issue flying under the radar locally. Last week was the first time I heard about it on the radio. I hope it falls apart. But I still plan to do what I can to support the breweries.
Keep on fighting the good fight.

By: Ale Evangelist

Ale Evangelist — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:38:26 +0000

Oh, and here’s another question. What about all the tax dollars we ALREADY give them??? You don’t think any of that is being wasted?? So every time the government runs out of money, you’re ok with them just asking for more?

Bullcrap.

By: tranehead

tranehead — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:05:34 +0000

We need to support those troops by bringing them home Gogg Boggs. Then we can ALL have a beer together that has NOT been taxed to pay for some little pet project.

By: Gogg Boggs

Gogg Boggs — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:26:02 +0000

Somehow we need to pay to support our troops in Iraq. I don’t like taxes any more than anyone but when are we going to take ×personal× responsibilty and understand that we must accept some sacrifices and financially support the good men and women of our armed forces.

By: Ale Evangelist

Ale Evangelist — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:05:41 +0000

Dammit! All raising taxes does is kills prosperity. Whether that’s taking my money through my purchases, or based on my income, it does not stimulate ANYTHING. What’s more, as pointed out in this article, it’s self-defeating. Decreasing alcohol consumption and torpedoing small businesses will have the net effect of lessening revenue more than anything else.

However, I do NOT support applying new taxes to soda, trans-fats, or anything else that Big Brother says is harmful. How about we reduce taxes AND the size of the government, and let people who produce wonderful things (like beer) stimulate this economy the way the Founders intended.