PLYMOUTH, Mich., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ – Lieutenant Governor John Cherry proposed a Job-Killer bottled water tax that will increase the cost of water bottled by Michigan workers by 70%. The tax is three times higher than similar taxes proposed by his office-mate Governor Jennifer Granholm just three months ago during the budget negotiations in Lansing — those tax proposals wisely went nowhere, and Cherry’s Job-Killer tax should be rejected as well.
The Granholm/Cherry tax proposals both single out Michigan workers, putting their jobs at risk while exempting water bottled by out-of-state and foreign workers. Cherry proposes a 10 cents per bottle tax on every bottle of water produced by Michigan workers, but bottled water that is produced by workers in places as near as Indiana or Ohio, or as far away as Fiji or France, are exempted from Cherry’s 70% tax.
The bottled water industry employs almost 4,000 people in the state, creates an additional 10,000 jobs at suppliers and related industries, and generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually in economic activity. Absopure Water Company began in Detroit in 1908 and is a leader in Michigan’s bottled water industry. It employs about 1,000 people in Michigan either directly or through its bottle-manufacturing, recycling and transportation affiliates, and is responsible for some of the most advanced global innovations in packaging sustainability.
Cherry justifies this money grab by comparing water to oil. But unlike oil, groundwater is a renewable resource that is replenished every time it rains or snows, and which flows out to the sea when left in its natural condition. The bottled water industry uses just 0.02% of groundwater, a drop in the bucket. Cherry’s misunderstanding of water rights is also out of synch with the cherished Constitutional principles of private property rights and civil liberty. He claims that the groundwater percolating below property all across Michigan does not belong to the private landowner, but to politicians in Lansing. Cherry’s proposal proves that he would consider every other water user as fair game for future taxes.
Cherry’s proposed tax sends a simple message to Michigan’s bottled water workers, and those who work in related industries and the many communities where bottled water companies operate: “we don’t want you or your families in Michigan, get out!”
About Absopure Water Company:
The Absopure Water Company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008, and has been privately owned by the Young family for over 50 years. Headquartered in Michigan, Absopure branded water products (including Absopure Natural Spring Water, Cap 10, Vigor and Montreaux) are distributed nationwide through retail outlets and direct delivery to homes, offices and industry — as well as Absopure office coffee and refreshment services in the mid-west. One of the top water companies in the United States, Absopure is a leader in recycling plastic bottles, and recently introduced the all-new, environmentally friendly Eco-Pak(TM) bottle, which is made from recycled bottles. For more information, visit: www.absopure.com
Source: Absopure Water Company
CONTACT: Frank Zolenski, +1-734-207-4923, frankz@absopure.com
Web Site: http://www.absopure.com
