The idea of a tax on soda seemed like a good one to many people. After all, the sugar in soda and the resulting increase in calorie consumption has been a concern to health advocates for some time.
Well. Put that on the back burner for now. According the the LA Times, "Employing a broad-based lobbying effort, the soft drink industry has smothered a plan to tax sugared beverages -- a plan advocates said would have reduced obesity and helped finance health care reform."
Beverage executives were also concerned that the Obama healthcare initiative might include taxes or other incentives to reduce consumption of fast food and high-calorie beverages.
Here in CA this is not a new proposal but a full-scale national debate on sweetened soft drinks and their effect on health -- that could be a real problem.
For now, the beverage industry has put to rest a plan to tax the soft drinks nationally. What happens in CA may be another matter entirely.
Link to LA Times Story.
For more on the CA situation and a study from the Center for Public Health Advocacy.....