Three weeks worth of food In most cities of South Dakota, the total tax (state & local) equals THREE WEEKS WORTH OF GROCERIES OUT OF A YEAR. (total tax on food x 52 weeks)
This can be a big bite out of any family's food budget. The tax takes food off the tables of economically struggling families.
While the food tax has been going down in other states, the tax on food was increased in South Dakota. At no time in the history of South Dakota, has the state forced its cities to implement or raise a tax on food - - until January 1, 2004. In most cities this doubled the city tax rate on food. South Dakota taxes people deeper into life's struggles
•One-third of the households in South Dakota struggle to make ends meet. (They are below 200% of poverty line, which is roughly equivalent to the Self-Sufficiency standard for South Dakota.)
•Low- and middle-income people pay a bigger portion of their income in state and local taxes than those who are better off. •Nursing homes, even non-profit ones, pay tax on the food they buy. They have other pressing needs for those funds.
•South Dakota is already among the nation's "Terrible Ten" for regressive taxes. This means those with less income pay a highe portion of that income for state and local taxes, while those with the most income pay a much lower portion. It means the burden falls harder on the lower incomes. The result is that the lower incomes (and often, middle-incomes too in South Dakota) have less money left to buy the things they need.
•Food is often the flexible part of the budget. So when times get tough and emergencies pop up, food gets shortchanged. If there were no food tax, the budget for food would stretch farther in the grocery store.
The poll tax was ended, because people should not
have to pay a tax before they can vote.
It is time to end the food tax, because people should
not have to pay a tax before they can eat.