Last week, a judge put Cook County's penny-per-ounce beverage tax on hold until July 12th. In the meantime, county residents continue to speak out against the poor policy. Linda McDaniel-Hale, an Illinois resident, captures the opposition in a Chicago Tribune opinion piece saying, "[a] soda tax in Cook County is outrageous for the average citizen."

"Are increasing taxes going to be the only way of managing finances in a state plagued with debt?" she continues. The tax is supposed to be a solution to the county’s budget deficit, but county commissioners are not considering the harm that the tax will cause low-income families, small businesses, jobs and incomes.

George Meyer, a Cook County resident, plans to take a short drive to Kane County to do his shopping if the beverage tax is imposed. "We pay enough taxes in Cook County as it is... How could the county be in need of additional taxes on pop to survive? says Meyer.

Many others plan to do the same, which will ultimately result in businesses inside the county losing jobs and money. "It is unreasonable to expect the average Cook County resident to keep paying more and more of his or her hard-earned wages," says McDaniel-Hale. The residents in Cook County deserve better.