Hilda Solis’ old district in El Monte, California declares fiscal emergency – the remedy is to tax soda
Hey Obama’s Che loving Labor Secretary Hilda Solis used to represent El Monte, California. This is another rathole in the Los Angeles area run by far left liberal Democrats. And like Mammoth Lakes, Stockton, and San Bernardino, the city is in fiscal distress. While the city of El Monte hasn’t decided to go the bankruptcy route (yet), they have another cure for their fiscal problems. Tax soda! Thank you Michael Bloomberg for your lousy idea, now the ideas out in California are going to try and follow your ‘lead.’ El Monte has a population of about 113,000 and they get to vote in November not only for Obama (which that far left district will), but also if they want the new soda tax to pay for their reckless spending government.
But the California Nevada Soft Drink Association said the tax would be irresponsible in a city facing above-average unemployment.
“Singling out one item in the grocery cart for an additional tax is discriminatory and regressive – and it makes no sense. Families in El Monte continue to struggle in this economy. Adding to their burden with a tax on groceries is not the right way to tackle the city’s budget problems,” said Bob Achermann, executive director of the association, in a statement.
And some store owners in El Monte are concerned with the proposal. Blanca Gonzalez, who has owned party supply store Piñata World for 19 years, worries about the effect on her customer base.
“Knowing the tax will be increasing, they might get their soda somewhere else,” Gonzales said.
El Monte is among many California cities struggling to balance its budget in the face of lower revenues, higher labor costs and decreased state funding.
