Soda taxes failed in two cities, but update says its not over

Soda tax crushed!

Frivolous tax measure

Okay, now its doubtful that San Mateo County will want to bring  a "soda tax" to our county, then to us.

CA voters in the 11/6/12  Richmond (Contra Costa County), and El Monte (Los Angeles County) elections rejected their "soda tax" ballot measures.  Rejected by how much?  Richmond, Measure N, 67%;  El Monte (Los Angeles county), Measure H, 77%.   


The Daily Meal (all things food and drink) blog, Marcy Franklin, Editor, 11/8/12. "Both soda tax initiatives failed in California."

"Looks like New York City will continue to forge the lonely war on soda by itself, as the two soda tax initiatives on the ballot in California failed to pass.

Cool, but I need to see a dentist

Mori Point "road kill" frog?

Report the Huffington Post and the Los Angeles Times, a whopping 76 percent of the population voted against the soda tax in El Monte, Calif. In Richmond, Calif., 67 percent of the votes were against the ban. The votes may not be a total shock, considering how much money the beverage industry spent fighting the bills. Huffington Post reports that the American Beverage Association (ABA) — an outspoken foe of the New York City soda ban and the proposed taxes — spent $2.5 million in Richmond, Calif., and $1.3 million in El Monte, Calif. (It was the most expensive campaign ever in El Monte, Calif.)

Many are disappointed that the soda taxes won't be put into effect considering the two cities' growing obesity rates; they are among the highest in all of California. Still, it looks as though the ABA will continue to dominate the war on soda — until they get to Bloomberg, of of course."

Related Fix Pacifica reprint - Palo Alto Daily news: Richmond soda tax measure, 10/26/12.

Updated article, San Francisco Chronicle/Carolyn Jones, 11/29/12. "More soda tax measures may be coming." "Richmond's soda tax may have faltered badly on election day, but the idea is now bubbling up in other Bay Area cities and counties. Officials in San Francisco, Berkeley, Alameda County, Vallejo, El Cerrito and other jurisdictions have discussed, or plan to discuss, placing soda taxes on ballots. .... In Half Moon Bay, resident Tim Pond, inspired by Richmond, has been lobbying city and San Mateo County officials to move ahead with a soda tax."

Posted by Kathy Meeh