Berkeley Passes Sin Tax on Soda

The city of Berkeley, California, took another step away from
its freewheeling past yesterday. Politico
reports:

Berkeley, Calif., a city known
for its progressive politics, made history Tuesday night by
approving the first real sin tax on soda in the United
States.

Voters approved Measure D, a penny-per-ounce tax, by a three-to-one
margin after a bitter campaign battle, with the beverage industry
spending more than $2.1 million to oppose the initiative. The
pro-tax campaign was bolstered by more than $650,000 from former
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Berkeley has now done what more than two dozen other cities and
states have tried and failed to do in recent years: Put in place a
punitive tax on sugar sweetened-beverage tax designed to reduce
consumption and raise revenue. The measure, which covers sports
drinks, sweet teas and beverage syrups used in coffee shops, would
raise the price of a 20-ounce Coca-Cola by about 10 percent. The
tax, which does not apply to diet sodas, kicks in Jan. 1,
2015.

The prohibitionist impulse fared more poorly across the bay,
where a similar measure failed in San Francisco.

Speaking of local referendums and the regulation of people’s
pleasures, I should also note some happy news from South Portland,
Maine, where voters
approved a ballot measure decriminalizing the possession of up
to an ounce of marijuana. That has understandably received less
attention that legalization’s
big victories yesterday in Alaska, Oregon, and D.C., but it’s
still worth noting. Celebrate with the burning weed or sugary
beverage of your choice.