Democrat leaders in Fairfax County are pushing a meals tax that voters have already rejected twice, showing once again how progressive policies disproportionately harm communities of color. This 6% tax on everything from restaurant meals to grocery store prepared foods will hit working-class families hardest while funding pet projects instead of addressing real community needs. After squandering a $240 million surplus last year, these same officials now claim they need more of your money. It’s time for Black voters to demand economic policies that create opportunity, not dependency.
Let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening in Fairfax County, Virginia right now. We’re witnessing yet another perfect example of how the progressive Democrat establishment—largely white, wealthy, and utterly disconnected from the struggles of everyday Americans—continues to harm the very communities of color they claim to champion.
Fairfax County is facing a nearly $300 million budget shortfall, and these Democrat supervisors think the solution is implementing a meals tax of up to 6% on every meal sold in the county—something voters have already rejected twice. This isn’t just bad policy; it’s a direct assault on Black and Brown communities.
Why do I say this? Because this tax would apply to everything from sit-down restaurants to fast-food, supermarket prepared foods, gas station hot dogs, and even sushi at grocery stores—the exact affordable food options that many working-class families, particularly in communities of color, rely on.
The progressive left loves to talk about “equity” and “justice,” but their actions tell a different story. Fairfax County had a $240 million surplus in 2024, but instead of using it responsibly, the Board spent it on pet projects while giving themselves massive raises despite being part-time officials. Now they want to tax food—a basic necessity—to fund more of their social engineering experiments.
This is the Democrat playbook: Create dependency, raise taxes on essentials, make communities more reliant on government, and then expect undying loyalty at the ballot box. They’re betting that Black and Hispanic voters will continue to vote for them no matter how harmful their policies are.
As restaurant owner Waria Salhi said about the proposed tax, “I think it’s just crazy.” She’s right. What’s truly crazy is how communities of color continue to give their votes to a party that consistently undermines their economic progress.
Let’s talk about who this tax really hurts. One business owner pointed out that this tax will affect “single parents that are picking up roast chickens from the grocery store to feed their kids” and families “picking up meals and trying to get fast food.” These are disproportionately minority families trying to make ends meet while juggling multiple jobs.
Meanwhile, the progressives on the Board who push these policies can easily absorb another tax. They don’t understand what it’s like to count every dollar in your grocery budget. This is the soft bigotry of low expectations—they believe minority communities will accept whatever burdens they impose because they’ve convinced us we have no alternative.
The truth is that economic freedom is true freedom. Black communities don’t need more government dependency; we need lower taxes, more jobs, stronger families, and policies that reward work and entrepreneurship. This meals tax does the opposite—it punishes hardworking families trying to feed themselves and small business owners trying to create jobs in our communities.
And what about accountability? As one county supervisor noted, the Board has “refused to have an outside review of our budget” while they “continue to increase spending on political agenda items.” This is what happens when you give one party—particularly one dominated by progressive ideology—unchecked power.
Black voters need to wake up. Our loyalty to the Democratic Party has been rewarded with higher taxes, failing schools, and declining neighborhoods. It’s time to judge politicians by their results, not their rhetoric. It’s time to vote based on our values—faith, family, and financial responsibility—not out of blind party loyalty.
The Fairfax County meals tax is just one more link in the chain of economic oppression that the progressive left has wrapped around communities of color. Breaking that chain starts with rejecting policies like this and demanding real accountability from our elected officials—regardless of party.