Vote No to The Durham Meals Tax
Welcome to Durham Citizens Against The Food Tax. We urge you to vote against the Durham Food Tax on November 4th (or by early voting.)
Voters will decide this fall whether Durham County can collect a 1 percent tax on prepared meals and beverages. According to the News and Observer: “The matter has been a source of local controversy for years because Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham, opposed the tax on the grounds that he believed it would disproportionately impact the poor.”
Rep. Luebke is exactly right. This food tax will fall on poor residents of Durham. At a time when people are struggling to put gas in their car and food on the table, it is wrong to tax one of the basic needs of life to fund upscale luxurious cultural amenities used mostly by high income earners who can afford to pay their own way.
This tax will not help create affordable housing, improve schools, or add fire or police officers to Durham County.
This tax is paid on fast food and all ready to eat meals. For many Durham County residents who must eat on the run or in-between their two jobs, eating out is not a choice it is a must.
The millions in new revenues would be used to pay mainly for cultural amenities including a proposed Minor League Baseball museum.
According to the News and Observer: their is strong, vocal opposition coming from the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People against the tax.
Lavonia Allison, the organization’s longtime chairwoman, said the tax is regressive and would further imperil the many people already in dire financial straits.
She also disagrees with the stated primary purpose of the tax — to raise money for “cultural amenities” such as repairing the Durham Civic Center and building a Minor League Baseball museum.
“Cultural amenities are nice, but with the challenges facing low- and middle-income people, many of them have little opportunity to enjoy cultural opportunities,” Allison said. (News and Observer 8-03-2008)
Durham Citizens Against The Meals Tax was formed to fight the tax. We hope you will find the Durham Meals Tax on the ballot and vote NO!!!