By PDX People

In Portland we love our coffee just as much as we love our craft beer and it’s not uncommon for politicians to find new ways of taxing the things that we consume on a regular basis including their latest proposal, House Bill 2875, which would impose a five cent per pound tax on wholesale coffee in Oregon.

Where Would The Money Go?

Funds raised from this new tax would go toward establishing the “Alternative Education Sustainability Fund.” Half of those funds would go toward the Oregon Military Department to be used in the Oregon National Guard Youth Challenge Program. The other half would fund grants for Oregon school districts that operate alternative high school programs, as well as primary schools.

Schools that operate alternative high school programs and primary schools would be able to apply for those grants from the Oregon Department of Education. If awarded, the grant money could be used for “cost of operations and capital construction” of alternative high school programs and primary school reading programs.

$1.8 Billion Budget Gap

Even though Oregon, like California, faces a billion dollar budget gap, the reality is that this coffee tax may not pass because coffee is something that most people in Portland, and across Oregon, consume on a regular basis and once business owners have to pay higher costs for their coffee they would ultimately have to pass those costs on down to their customers.