Read

User menu

Search form

Welcome to Berkeley, Calif: Ground Zero for the Soda Wars

Welcome to Berkeley, Calif: Ground Zero for the Soda Wars
Mon, 10/27/2014
This article originally appeared on robertreich.org

I got a call the other day from a stooge of Big Soda who was doing a “push poll” — trying to get me and all my neighbors to vote against Berkeley’s proposed one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary soft drinks.

Big Soda is pulling out all the stops — and the money — to prevent the tax, because Big Soda knows that if it fails in Berkeley it can’t pass anywhere.

Yet, just like tobacco, we know a small tax reduces consumption. And just like tobacco, consumption of sugary soft drinks is a huge health problem.

One out of three American kids is obese and at risk of early-onset diabetes. A major culprit is Big Soda.

Isn’t it time the people stood up against corporate moneyed interests that are determined to prevent us from protecting ourselves and our kids?

Originally published by RobertReich.org

3 WAYS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

ONE-TIME DONATION

Just use the simple form below to make a single direct donation.

DONATE NOW

MONTHLY DONATION

Be a sustaining sponsor. Give a reacurring monthly donation at any level.

GET SOME MERCH!

Now you can wear your support too! From T-Shirts to tote bags.

SHOP TODAY

Sign Up

Article Tabs

From a pro-democratic perspective, civil society and new media organisations are surging in the aftermath of the Orban regime.

The country’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has promised a break from the politics of the last 40 years—realizing more broadly that Labour must stand up for the 99% against big business, or the party will become irrelevant.

The tragic shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is just the latest example of ICE having a fundamental disrespect for human life — further proving why the agency should be stripped of funding and shut down, and its rank-and-file agents and leadership prosecuted.

While the U.S., EU and their allies are enabling Rojava—the strongest force against Islamic State— to fall, it is vital for internationalists to continue to support this beacon of democracy and liberation.

June 23, 2026 may be remembered as the beginning of the end of the Democratic Party establishment.

The current wave of food recalls is a direct byproduct of President Donald Trump’s administration deliberately removing the safeguards put in place aimed at protecting American consumers more than a century ago.

From a pro-democratic perspective, civil society and new media organisations are surging in the aftermath of the Orban regime.

We can still celebrate success while simultaneously putting a cap on net worth.

The country’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has promised a break from the politics of the last 40 years—realizing more broadly that Labour must stand up for the 99% against big business, or the party will become irrelevant.

Much like the resistance to AI data centers, the opposition to Flock surveillance cameras has brought the left and the right together against billionaires who are trying to force America into becoming even more of a police state.

Much like the resistance to AI data centers, the opposition to Flock surveillance cameras has brought the left and the right together against billionaires who are trying to force America into becoming even more of a police state.

Posted 1 month 1 week ago

The tragic shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is just the latest example of ICE having a fundamental disrespect for human life — further proving why the agency should be stripped of funding and shut down, and its rank-and-file agents and leadership prosecuted.

Posted 1 month 3 weeks ago

The country’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has promised a break from the politics of the last 40 years—realizing more broadly that Labour must stand up for the 99% against big business, or the party will become irrelevant.

Posted 1 month 1 week ago

We can still celebrate success while simultaneously putting a cap on net worth.

Posted 4 weeks 1 day ago

The current wave of food recalls is a direct byproduct of President Donald Trump’s administration deliberately removing the safeguards put in place aimed at protecting American consumers more than a century ago.

Posted 5 days 13 min ago