There’s divided feedback on Anchorage’s proposed 5% alcohol sales tax.
On one hand, non-profit organizations, like the United Way of Anchorage and the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness say these tax dollars are much needed to address issues within the community. On the other hand, some local restaurants and breweries want the city to find another way.
“I get it, I get that we have an issue, and we have a problem. We want to see that solved, because we deal with it everyday here at the Matanuska Brewing Company,” said owner, Matt Tomter. “We’re right here in Midtown, and we’re in the center of the problem, but I think there’s money already there. We’re already collecting it and they need to figure out how to use money that they’ve already got in a more effective way.”
The Coalition to End Homelessness says that at any given moment, there are about 1100 people experiencing homelessness in Anchorage. The tax dollars would not only go toward addressing that problem, but also towards issues of substance abuse and misuse. Read more here.