The Economics of a Soda Tax: Update

My April post on The Economics of a Soda Tax has been a favorite with readers, drawing more hits than almost any other post on microeconomic policy. Unfortunately, it appears that a soda tax is less popular with the electorate than it is with readers of this blog. In a ballot initiative this month, voters in my home state of Washington endorsed a repeal of the state's pioneering tax on soda and candy by a nearly 2:1 margin. It seems that we have to look elsewhere for a resolution to the twin crises of obesity and insolvency.