I was reading David Seaton's excellent post in the Cafe (http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/david_seaton/2009/09/when-crazy-meets-money.php?ref=reccafe) when I was hijacked by a TPM ad: "This tax isn't about health.  It's about money.... sign the petition."  Maybe you saw it, too.  Of course, I was curious as to what tax is NOT about money - though some (like cigarette taxes) have secondary purposes.

Turns out, this is another astroturf group trying to stir up the scare on healthcare reform.  The beverage industry is passing themselves off as a group of concerned Americans opposing a food (and soft drink) tax.  Except, guess what?

THERE IS NO PROPOSAL FOR A SUGARY SOFT DRINK TAX IN CONGRESS!  Not in HR3200, not in any other proposal, and not in any other piece of legislation pending.

Can you say SCARE?  I expect it is just a matter of hours before Republicans start latching onto this industry-financed bit of misinformation.

The TPM ad takes you to the triply-misleading website "nofoodtaxes.com".  The group's name is "Americans Against Food Taxes".  Misleading because (1) they're really only concerned about SOFT DRINK taxes; (2) it is an industry-group, not a collection of "Americans"; and (3) there is no soft drink tax proposal in sight.

They acknowledge misleading aspect #1 on their home page, where they acknowledge "Discriminatory and punitive taxes on soda and juice drinks..." are not the way they want to go.

They acknowledge misleading aspect #2 on their "about" page, where they disclose all of the industry groups and corporations backing the fortune being paid to their DC lobbyists/PR firms (http://www.prwatch.org/node/8524; http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_Against_Food_Taxes).  No Americans (defined as "natural persons" who are citizens of the U.S.) are disclosed as contributing to this astroturf group, even though they claim to be the voice for families and individuals (who won't give up their Cokes until pried from their cold, quenched hands).

They don't acknowledge misleading aspect #3, instead pointing (on their home page, no less) to an editorial in the Enid (Okla.) News claiming there's a "misguided" "scheme to levy a new tax on 'fat' foods."   No sources for the claim. 

Sure, there has been off and on chatter about a tax on soft drinks that might have an impact on obesity.  Even an article in the New England Journal of Medicine (http://yaleruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/industry/SodaTaxNEJMApr09.pdf).  But, that only addresses soft drinks, and it does NOT qualify as a "scheme".  More importantly, there is NOTHING afoot in Congress, notwithstanding occasional protestations from Republicans in Congress.  To confirm this, I searched the various articles and editorials for references to something concrete, I searched at thomas.loc.gov under "soft drink" and under "calorie", and I reviewed the Joint Committee on Taxation's review of the revenue proposals in H.R. 3200 (http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/hr3200rt.pdf).  Not a gosh-darned thang anywhere.

Now, without saying whether a tax on sugary soft drinks is good or bad, I think we can all agree that an industry association fronting as a grass roots group and implying that Congress is planning to tax foods (and, oh yeah, soft drinks) at a moment when the entire country is focused on health care reform proposals is flat out wrong.

I researched and wrote this post because I was startled to see such BS on TPM, and I wanted to share my findings and impressions in the hope that noone at this site will be fooled by this scare tactic.

(Full disclosure:  I consumed one 16oz DIET soft drink while researching and writing this blog.)