Government
How to Pass a Soda Tax
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney shares his city’s experiences battling the sugary beverage industry.
MIAMI—Jim Kenney, mayor of Philadelphia, voted against a soda tax the first two times it was proposed in his city. As an at-large council member, he voted against the tax when the purpose was to promote public health by raising the price of sugary beverages. But after he became mayor, he came around on the idea, when the goal was to fund pre-kindergarten education for Philadelphia families.
The third time was the charm for Philadelphia, which passed a 1.5-cent-per-ounce excise on both sugared and diet beverages in June. Recent experiences in Oakland, San Francisco, and Philadelphia show that there’s more than one reason to pass a soda tax and more than one way to actually do it. All of them, to be sure, will draw the ire of Big Soda.