Successful lobbying by the beverage industry is what killed the soda tax, the Times explains in an analysis of Governor David Paterson’s failed campaign. “The health message resonated with public-spirited groups like the New York Academy of Medicine and editorial writers,” says the public-spirited Times. “Enter New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes, set up by beverage companies, grocers, Teamsters who represent drivers and production workers and others.” The American Beverage Association spent $9.4 million on its opposition campaign in just the first four months of 2010. The Alliance for a Healthy New York, a group the supported the tax, spent about half that. Where was the tobacco lobby when we needed them?
