Press Release: 200+ Community Members & Local Business Owners Oppose DC Council’s Beverage Tax
From: Alliance for an Affordable DC, January 14th, 2020
WASHINGTON (January 14, 2020) — The Alliance for an Affordable DC (The Alliance), a growing group of residents and small-business owners serving neighborhoods throughout the city, today announced its opposition to the DC Council’s proposed beverage tax. The Alliance is a diverse group of more than 200 DC businesses and community groups that serve neighborhoods throughout the city and believe this tax will disproportionately hurt working families and neighborhood businesses the hardest.
“I’m most worried about my customers because as a small business, I can’t afford to absorb this tax, which means I’ll be forced to pass it along to them,” said Tyrone Celey, owner of Compact Market in DC’s Trinidad neighborhood, where he also lives. “These are my neighbors and many of my customers are elderly and don’t have transportation to travel for cheaper prices. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to fight this tax. For my business and the others in our area, but most of all, for my customers.”
