With a proposed 1-cent per ounce tax on sweetened
beverages such as soda-pop on the 2016 ballot in Oakland and San Francisco, the
effected industry reserved about $9.5 million in television-ad time.[1]
As of August 10th, the American Beverage Association had already
spent $747,267 on campaign consultants and advertisements against the proposed
tax in Oakland, whereas supporters of the proposal had spent only $23,297.[2]
The imbalance itself could mean that business was subverting democracy by
overwhelming voters. If big-soda’s ads were unethical as the pro-tax camp
contended, the subversion would be especially harmful.
The full essay is at "Big Soda Campaigning."
1. Michael McLaughlin, “Big
Soda Spends Millions on ‘Unethical’ San Francisco Area Ads Fighting Drink Taxes,”
The Huffington Post, August 24, 2016.
2. Darwin Graham, “Big
Soda Is Spending Big Money Against Oakland Surary Beverage Tax Proposal,” East Bay Express, August 10, 2016.
