After reading in the Sun Journal about a new tax on bottled water, I am baffled by what appears to be more of an attack than a tax.

It’s an attack in that it is being sold to the public as something people need.

Unfortunately, many people believe that corporations are greedy groups looking to take people’s money. That shows a lack of economics understanding.

Taxes are just another cost to a business and when any cost increases, so does the price of the product. That case of bottled water you bought — likely to increase about 40 cents. That’s 40 cents out of your wallet, not from that big greedy corporation.

It’s also an attack on socio-economic groups simply by portraying the tax as being against those who can afford to drink bottled water. But some rural areas in Maine don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water and people will have to pay more for that water, needed for drinking and cooking, some of whom rely on SNAP benefits to do so.

Lastly, it’s an attack on good fiscal policies here in Maine. The state Constitution allows the state to spend only what it collects. Gone are the days where the Legislature looked at revenue forecasts and created a budget wisely, using what revenue was expected. That’s been replaced by overtaxing the public to meet the uncontrolled spending lust seen in Augusta today.

As one legislator said on the very issue — “we need the revenue.”

Robert Reed, Lewiston