Go West Young Man: Bloomberg Looks To California For His Soda Tax

by Robert Donachie

Former New York City Mayor Bloomberg is funneling millions into two California campaigns promoting discriminatory taxes on Bay Area grocery stores similar to his own soda tax, which was slapped down in New York.

Just like the early settlers of the United States, who envisioned a country which spanned coast to coast, former Mayor Bloomberg appears to be pursuing his own version of manifest destiny: soda taxes from sea to shining sea.

Mayor Bloomberg is teaming up with former Enron trader John Arnold, and the two are regularly throwing money in support of a ban on sugary drinks in California.

Every other week, seemingly without fail, Bloomberg is pumping nearly $1 million, roughly $500,000 a piece, behind two key initiatives in California: Measure HH in Oakland and Proposition V in San Francisco.

Measure HH is championed by the Coalition for Healthy Oakland Children, a group that describes themselves as “concerned community leaders, public health professionals, elected officials, parents, and citizens pulling together to address the diabetes crisis and to improve health through education and effective health policy.”

The coalition believes that the solution to the alleged diabetes crisis is to institute a tax on “companies that distribute sugary drinks.” Measure HH imposes a one cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks that “is estimated to generate $6-8 million per year that can be used to fund  health and nutrition programs in our community.”

To date, Bloomberg has put some $6,437,425.51 behind Measure HH.

Proposition V, conversely, is is promoted by a front group Bloomberg funds called, “Vote Yes On V-The San Francisco Soda Tax.” The campaign website notes that the group is paid for by one Michael R. Bloomberg.

The group says it is “time to stop letting big soda put profits above our children’s health. On November 8th, the health of children in San Francisco relies on us. Proposition V will tax distributors of soda and other sugary drinks that have direct links to obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and liver disease.”

Bloomberg, as of Oct. 12, put $6,682,902.50 behind Proposition V.

The former New York City mayor is not alone in his push for a sugary drink tax in California.

John Arnold, former Enron trader, contributed over $1.5 million to both initiatives in 2016. Bloomberg and Arnold supported the sugary drinks tax proposal in Philadelphia in May, both donating to support an ad campaign promoting the tax. The tax passed in June.

In addition to Arnold, Dignity Health, a company in court over sex discrimination charges, donated $50,000 to the Yes on V initiative Sept. 24.