Michael Bloomberg is jumping into Berkeley’s battle over a proposed soda tax by funding a baseball-themed TV ad that will run throughout the Bay Area during this weekend’s World Series games.
Bloomberg, who failed to ban big sodas while mayor of New York City, is spending at least $200,000 to support Measure D, a ballot measure that would implement a 1 cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks.
Over images of AT&T Park and warbling keyboard version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” the ad’s narrator says, “The number of obese and overweight Bay Area children could fill our baseball stadium three times… But on Nov. 4, we get a chance to change the game.”
Bloomberg has opted against putting his money behind San Francisco’s proposed 2 cent per ounce tax, also on the November ballot, largely because that measure requires a two-thirds majority to pass while the Berkeley proposal only needs a simple majority.
In addition to World Series ad buy, campaign insiders say Bloomberg will spend $200,000 for ads directed at Berkeley cable TV subscribers.
Bloomberg previously spent $85,000 in support of the Berkeley measure. Aides said he decided to up the ante after seeing how much the beverage industry was outspending soda tax proponents. Beverage interests — represented largely by the American Beverage Association California PAC – have spent more than $2.1 million through Oct. 18 in a city with about 80,000 registered voters. Recently, Berkeley voters received a glossy, eight-page mailer funded by the beverage industry.
Yes on D proponents have spent $272,987, according to campaign finance reports through Oct. 18.
“The soda industry has thrown everything it can at Berkeley,” Bloomberg adviser Howard Wolfson said. “Just as it has in other cities such as Richmond last election — because they understand that ongoing progress to fight for the health of our kids will only be accelerated if they are beaten at the polls even after outspending the grassroots kids health coalition by ten to one.”
Roger Salazar, spokesman for the campaign against Berkeley’s beverage tax, responded to the ad.
“This ad proves that this has never been a local grassroots effort. From the outset, these attempts to punish people by taxing their food and beverage choices have come from a well-orchestrated campaign by a national activist lobby,” Salazar said. “This is the 1% pushing a tax on the 99%, and exempting themselves from it. We think voters in the Bay Area see that there are more important issues their governments should address rather than delving into what people choose to eat and drink.”
