Word on the street - March 11, 2010

Washington state is going to begin taxing candy and bottled water to offset a $2.8 billion budget deficit. Is that going to affect your life much?

Becky Burke, Pullman

“I buy a lot of candy.”

Are you going to cut back?

“Probably not. I need candy to keep going.”

Joseph Perry, Colfax

“I think it’s a bunch of crap. There’s so much waste there, I don’t know why they have to tax the little things.”

So are you a big bottled water drinker?

“No, I drink pop. But they’re going to tax that like everything else we like.”

Mallory Crass, Pullman

“I drink those big Smart Water things. They’re going to tax those now?”

Yeah. Like a cent per ounce.

“Guess I’m drinking tap water.”

Steve Peters, Lewiston

“No, it won’t affect me alot. Maybe I will buy less candy.”

So you’re not a bottled water guy?

“No. We’re on a natural well, so we’ve got lots of good, clean water. Not like that stuff that comes out of a hose in some guy’s back yard in Chicago.”