Billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s crusade against soda has met another failure, as Chicago voted to end its taxation Wednesday.
Cook County commissioners voted 15-2 to repeal the 1-cent per ounce tax on soda, diet soda, sweetened coffees and teas, and sports drinks. The editorial board of the Chicago Tribune called the tax “highway robbery.” The tax added a $1.28 tax for a gallon of zero-calorie iced tea.
The vote is the latest in a series of losses for Bloomberg, who has poured millions into anti-soda campaigns.
The former New York City mayor spent at least $5 million on ads supporting the Cook County tax and vowed to spend “whatever it takes” to reelect commissioners who supported it.
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