The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) brought their powerful voice to the debate on whether food and beverage taxes should be considered to pay for government programs.

To these leaders, the tax is a non-starter. At its national assembly, LULAC members passed a resolution taking a first stance against food and beverage taxes - whether at the federal or state level.

In a news release Thursday, LULAC National President Rosa Rosales said: "In these tough times, we do not want to be taxing the people who would be directly impacted in the local communities. We will make sure that these hard-working Americans retain their tenuous hold on financial security by shielding them from even more burdensome new food and/or beverage taxes."

The LULAC resolution cites the global recession, the economic stress families are facing and the highly regressive nature of food and beverage taxes as major reasons lawmakers should not pursue such options.

We appreciate and applaud LULAC and its members for speaking up on this issue. And we hope it helps lawmakers further understand the real concern amongst hard-working families about the negative impact a tax on groceries would have on their financial security.