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As Florida lawmakers work toward the budget deadline, they’re faced with a multi-billion dollar deficit.
Hundreds of university professor jobs, thousands of catastrophically ill Floridians, and scores of children’s programs are on the line. Part of the solution could be found in bottled water. This week a legislative panel reviews more than 240 tax exempt items, including bottled water, which could generate millions of dollars in revenue.
The bottled beverage has been exempt since 1949. It’s now probably the number one selling bottled beverage in the state. That does Florida no good, because it’s all tax free.
“I don’t think it’s very fair to tax bottled water, or tax something that they haven’t been taxing,” says Bay Resident Jennifer Benton.
Lawmakers look to patch a $6 billion hole. Taxing bottled water, would generate an estimated $42.3 million dollars a year.
“Yeah I think that should be done,” Robert Tate says. “Our schools are really bad as far as finances go. It’s like everything else we purchase we pay taxes on with an exception of very few items like groceries and what have you.”
While the tax would make millions for the state, it would only amount to around six cents a bottle. “I don’t think they’ll really notice it,” Benton said. “They probably assume they’re already paying taxes on it so I don’t think it’ll be a big deal.”
Removing the exemption would put water on par with flavored and vitamin water which is taxed.
“It’s not a necessity,” says Susie Dillard. “I think it’s more of a luxury that people use. I think it would be fair to.”
Bottled water is just one of 240 tax exemptions being reviewed. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Florida gives up $63.5 million in exemptions for chartered fishing boats, $41.3 million for newspaper and magazine inserts and $5 million a year for boats temporarily docked in Florida.
The state even gives exemptions on NFL Superbowl tickets. The big game was held in Tampa this year. The exemption cost the state $5.4 million in possible tax revenue.
Lawmakers will have to act fast to get any exemption changes in before the budget deadline. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
Why should the lottery be the blame for the officials inability to manage the budget presented to them? Nobody screamed lottery all the other years when they were spending away. What did they do before Florida had a lottery?
I doubt that a high percentage of people buy their tickets as if they were donating to a good cause. If that’s the case, they should just buy the candy students sell or bring their car to a car wash sponsored by students instead of purchasing lottery tickets. Then they’d get your donation directly.
What is the minimal amount that the lottery donates to education? Do you even know? And remember, that money is divided throughout the state. So if they donated $67 million a year, that would be one million per county. And $67 million is a pretty good chunk of change. But you probably think all $67 million should go to the school your child attends right? If the schools are so bad, one answer: homeschool. If the water is so bad , one answer: bottled water.
Sounds like some people want to take advantage of citizens’ concern for their childrens’ education to take more of our income through additional taxes. It is rediculous that a state making billions from a lottery should ever need a penny for education!! Yet we keep voting to increase sales tax for education. Stop allowing lottery officials to get richer taking money out of the mouths of children whose parents don’t seem to know better than to throw away all of their money on a long-shot. Many people believe the money they put into the lottery goes to education, while we know that the amount that really goes there is minimal. Why add cost to a bottle of water that is already outrageously priced when we live in a state that bottles pure spring water from this state and charges us to drink it? We’re already paying so much to the city for the tap water that is so nasty we hate to use it to brush our teeth, much less drink.
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Considering the poor shape that our water treatment and delivery systems (pipes) are in,water is not a luxury. It is instead,a necessity. Therefore,I am of the opinion that,it should not be taxed. If it is taxed,those funds should go directly to improve our public water facilities and delivery systems exclusively.