Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is over his proposal to tax Cheez Whiz, a processed, cheese-based sauce popular among the city’s tourists and drunks.

Analysts estimate the new tax will cost the average Philadelphian over $500 per year.

“I am proposing to pay for quality pre-k, community schools, and investments in community infrastructure and energy efficiency, by levying a 3 cent tax on Cheez Whiz distributors,” Kenney said in a speech to City Council.

But he faces strong criticism from opponents who say the proposed tax amounts to nothing but a government grab. A coalition of cheesesteak vendors and aficionados protested outside the Mayor’s office Friday.

“Keep the city off of my back and out of my cheesesteak,” said protester Duane Hardy, a member of Sandwichmakers Local 231. “This is just like back in the 70s, when the feds tried to declare Cheez Whiz as a toxic substance. We beat them and we’ll beat this too.”