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Action Alert
National Alcohol Excise Tax
A bit about this topic:
-as much
as I would like to write that this is about the emotional, and
social ills so many of us see and know related to alcohol abuse and
dependence, it is really about dollars and monetary cost related to
alcohol consumption.
Alcohol, a legal drug, comes with great costs to the U.S.
Regardless of who is at fault, why it happens, and what reduces the
impact on communities (Lots of good folks doing research on this to
reduce the impact for those most at risk) we need to view the
federal excise tax for what it is, "Fee for use".
-
You drink more, you pay in more taxes. If you drink more, you
cost our society more.
-
You drink moderately, you and pay taxes in moderation.
Equity for Alcohol Excise tax, is really about tax equity. The
alcohol lobby is very well entrenched and has worked hard for their
industry. In
a nut shell the lobby does what it is paid to do. They do an
excellent job. It is that simple. Money, buys political power.
This industry is powerful, deep rooted, very well funded, and very
skilled in their job to protect their industry, and further the
revenues of the alcohol industry.
We should not expect the Alcohol industry to put the public's
health ahead of their industries profits, that is not their job.
We however the tax payers, and voters of this country, living and
raising families in communities across the country, are forced to
deal with the consequences of this industries efforts to maximize
profits for their shareholders, while we the tax payers get stuck
with the bill for "costs to society & clean up".
Most adults have a choice to use this legal drug, we
have a choice too.
If we choose not to spend our tax dollars already committed to other
areas in need (schools, healthcare, highways, elderly etc) for the
purposes of paying for "clean-up" efforts in society as a result of
alcohol consumption. The costs of Alcohol last year were more
than $184 Billion dollars.
We must demand that those who choose to drink, also contribute to
the costs alcohol consumption bring to our communities. "Fee
for use" is essentially what this excise tax amounts to.
Contact your Senator or Congressman
The information below will tell you how to contact those that work
for you in D.C. It is our job
to send them our opinions on issues that they must vote on. We
need to let them know that we do not support taxpayers (who may or
may not drink) being stuck with the expense of the costs alcohol
consumption on the consequences, and show them support
for choosing not to give this industry a "tax break" simply because
they have enormous monies behind their lobby. These people
work for us. The are our elected officials.
Example of letter sent in support of
opposition to beer tax roll back to Senator Breaux below
is an example you can use, simply cut and paste into word
document/WordPerfect document.
Write your letter today. Get E-Mail, Fax and Snail mail
address for LA congresspersons
here
All other states go here
PLEASE OPPOSE ALCOHOL TAX
CUTS!
VIA FAX:(202) XXX-XXXX
The Honorable (Senator / Representative)
U.S. Senate / House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510 / 20515
Dear Senator /
Representative ______:
I am writing to ask that you
oppose any reductions in federal excise taxes on alcoholic
beverages, and decline co-sponsorship of bills promoted by the beer
and liquor industries to substantially reduce excise taxes on those
products (beer tax rollback bill H.R. 52, and any bill that may be
introduced to reduce liquor taxes). For the following reasons, such
legislation is bad public health and fiscal policy:
The economic and social
costs of drinking already far exceed alcohol tax revenues.
Federal tax revenues from alcoholic beverages totaled nearly $7.7
billion in 2001, while according to a government report the cost
to society was estimated at $184 billion in 1998. Now is not the
time to sacrifice important revenues when the federal deficit is
projected to soar to near record levels of $200 to $300 billion in
the next two years.
Lowering taxes on
alcoholic beverages will help stabilize or reduce prices, making
those products more available to underage drinkers. The National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has confirmed the link
between alcohol prices and the quantity and frequency of youth
drinking, as well as the link between prices and the rate of teen
auto-crash fatalities. Slashing taxes on alcoholic beverages –
particularly beer – could lead to 600 more teen deaths per year in
alcohol-related traffic crashes.
Despite an increase in
1991, alcohol taxes are low by historical standards. Due to
inflation, both the rates and revenues have dwindled dramatically
over the past 50 years. Adjusted for inflation, alcoholic
beverages are actually at least 25% cheaper today than they were
in 1951.
By wide margins, the
American public supports increases – not decreases – in alcohol
taxes. That's because more than 35% don’t drink at all and among
those who do, most drink so little that they would barely notice a
tax decrease (or increase). Alcohol tax cuts would benefit only
producers and their heaviest drinking customers, the 20% of
drinkers who consume 85% of the alcohol. The vast majority of
adult drinkers (75%) average just 5 drinks per week and account
for only 13% of adult consumption.
Alcohol producers are
prospering, and despite assertions that the tax cuts would benefit
consumers, they have not hesitated to raise prices periodically to
maximize profits. They aren't concerned about ordinary consumers
because they know that most of their revenue comes from the least
price-sensitive heavy drinkers, who are either addicted or
potentially in trouble with alcohol.
Please put the best
interests of public health and safety and the young people of
America ahead of alcohol companies' profits and the pocketbooks of
their heavy-drinking best customers. I hope you will reject all
efforts to reduce federal taxes on alcoholic beverages and consider
ways to increase them instead. Thank you for your consideration and
reply.
Sincerely,
Name/Contact Information
Name and Address fax for Louisiana
Congressional Delegation |
