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February 9, 2010

Soda Industry Successful in Campaign Against Soda Tax
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Michelle Obama is not expected to call for a tax on soda, a proposal
pushed by many public health advocates who say it would reduce obesity
and could help finance healthcare reform. The Chicago Tribune reports
the American Beverage Association, the lobbying arm of the soft drink
industry, has led an intense lobbying effort over the past year to
smother a plan to tax sugared beverages. The association formed a
coalition called Americans Against Food Taxes that included the
soft-drink makers, their suppliers, and such mass marketers as Mc
Donald’s and Domino’s Pizza. The coalition argued that higher food and
drink taxes would unfairly burden poor people. The coalition recruited a
bevy of Latino groups to oppose the tax, including Hispanic Alliance for
Prosperity, the National Hispana Leadership Institute, the League of
United Latin American Citizens, and the National Hispanic Medical
Association. Nearly all the groups, including the National Hispanic
Medical Association, had received beverage industry money in the past or
have industry representatives on their governing boards. The National
Hispanic Medical Association pulled out of the coalition last week.



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