Tax the soda
In agreeing with the American Beverage Association on the San Francisco soda tax (“Memo to City Hall: Supervise someone else,” Aug. 3), Debra J. Saunders forgets that ours is not a government for the corporations by the corporations and of the corporations.
Big Soda regularly engineers the over-consumption of soda through marketing, placement, big portions and affordability. It’s no wonder that two-thirds of teens have a sugary drink daily. Now trying to engineer voters decisions, the ABA cites the Fletcher article (that Saunders cites) to bolster its position.
In fact, the article shows soda taxes do work to lower soda intake, especially higher ones like in San Francisco.
Whereas the only doctors Big Soda has are spin-doctors, let’s believe our USCF scientists, who remind us that two decades of peer-reviewed scientific research points to sugary drinks as the leading contributor to Type 2 diabetes.
In letting the voters decide on this issue, City Hall embodies government that is for the people, by the people and of the people for a source of city pride in a country where corporate cash increasingly steers policy decisions. This is why I join with USCF, City Hall and Choosehealthsf.com in supporting the soda tax.
Michelle Parker, San Francisco