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by relaxing 1643 days ago
No one drove to NJ for groceries, the $5 bridge toll would offset any gains. You’d drive to one of the surrounding counties in PA, provided you lived close enough for the trip to make sense. According to that paper, that happened in about 50% of sales, which is still a net win in terms of reduced consumption.

Very little is “lost” to the city when that happens, because groceries are tax exempt.
1 comments
azundo 1643 days ago
Presumably the owners and operators of the grocery stores are losing, and are constituents of the city, pay payroll taxes, property taxes, etc.
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relaxing 1642 days ago
You don’t have to presume - the aspects you bring up are well studied. There was no negative effect on employment. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33232891/

In fact, a Rutgers study found a net positive effect due to the tax spend on early childhood education. https://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Beverage-Tax202...

Not sure what you think happened with property taxes, but there was no rash of store closings. Due to consumers periodically bulk buying soda at a different chain outlet or otherwise.

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