Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Lawmakers Could Be Forced to Swallow Soda Tax
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 23, 2010
Modified Jun 23, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 23, 2010
Modified Jun 23, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Every week since Albany failed to meet its April 1st budget deadline, Governor Paterson has sent a one-week extender budget over to the legislature, which passes it in a up or down vote (they can't modify it). But lately Paterson's been including controversial items, like the cigarette tax, into these bills, forcing lawmakers to approve it or shut down the government. And next week, Paterson may go through with a "nuclear-option bill," which would include even more of the changes that the lobbyists have worked so hard to stop, like the dreaded soda tax.
Paterson has given the Legislature until Monday to come up with a budget he can agree with, and if not, the governor will select from "a menu of choices" for the extender bill, as one source tells the Daily News. "Everything is on the table and everyone will know what it looks like on Friday if there's no budget deal by then," Paterson's source says. "If they don't want it to come down to it, they should reach an agreement with the governor on the budget. If they don't, they'll be the ones to be blamed for shutting government, not the governor."
NYC's public advocate Bill de Blasio is all for the soda tax. In an editorial in the NY Observer, he writes, "Rarely does a budget proposal have such wide-ranging effects on not just the fiscal but the physical health of citizens, but the soda tax does just that. We know that the major soda corporations and their lobbyists are pumping lots of money into their effort to kill this initiative because they worry it might impact their profits. Rather than bowing to the soda lobby, New York's legislators need to realize this proposal is a win-win for the state." As a counterpoint, the Times's Clyde Haberman says, "Thank Heaven for those of you in New York who behave self-destructively. Without you, what would the politicians do to balance their budgets?"
Tagged
budget extender
paterson
soda tax
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .