Michael Bloomberg Comes Out in Support of Soda Tax

As the ongoing legal battle over Philadelphia’s contentious soda tax continue to inundate the newspapers and airwaves of the City of Brotherly Love, a new voice has come out in support of the tax: former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg is putting his (ample) money where his mouth is when it comes to his feelings about the levy, rolling out a spate of television and radio ads touting the tax’s benefits.

Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has rolled out an ad campaign promoting Philadelphia’s contentious soda tax.

On January 1st, the city enacted a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on all sweetened beverages. Not limited to sodas, the tax also includes juices, flavored milks and waters, and sweet tea and coffee. The soda tax faced a wall of opposition from the big beverage company lobbyists from the time it was signed into law, and the challemnges have only grown since the law was actually enacted. So far both a city and appeals court have upheld the tax as constitutional. Big Soda, which claims the tax violates the Constitution and takes advantage of the most economically-challenged residents of the city. The tax has substantially increased the cost of beverages in Philadelphia, a fact that was covered substantially by the media back in January. The tax benefits pre-K education, as well as community centers and schools.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said that he was not aware of the ads or the fact that they were coming, but welcomes Bloomberg’s support. “We’re up against tens of millions of dollars of soda money putting out misinformation and trying to upset people,” said Kenney.

The soda business came out swinging in response, calling it audacious that a billionaire from out of town (who doesn’t have to pay the tax) would call the soda tax a “small price to pay” for “big  changes.”

Bloomberg’s spokesman says the former mayor just “wanted to level the playing field and make sure both sides were heard.” He also declined to answer the question of how much money Bloomberg was spending on the ads.