Chicago Wants to Tax Bottled Water

The Chicago Sun-Timesreports:

Chicago should cash in on the bonanza of bottled water sales -- and help clean up the environment -- by slapping a tax of 10 to 25 cents on the cost of every bottle, a Southwest Side alderman said Monday.

At a time when Chicagoans are bracing for post-election tax increases to close a $217 million budget gap, Ald. George Cardenas (12th) said he can think of no better or more lucrative idea to add to the menu than a bottled water tax.

"People enjoy jogging or driving with a bottle of water. There's a cost associated with this behavior. You have to pay for it," said Cardenas, one of Mayor Daley's staunchest City Council supporters.


Cardenas noted that there's a nearly $40 million shortfall in the city's water and sewer funds, in part because of a decline in water usage.

I guess it's becoming expensive to let overpaid government workers retire at 48 years old.