a day after gov . richard a . paterson withdrew his request for a tobacco tax , newly york city ' s tax director has authored an article urging " hefty " taxation on drinks and sports spirits using sugar . such a tax , the report said , cannot be the biggest benefit to public health since such prices . the commissioner , gov . thomas r . frieden , and kelly d . brownell of yale undergraduate , his co - authored , arguing in the newer english journal of medicine that a price of a penny and ounce cannot reduce consumption by more than 10 points and raise $ 1 . 2 million a year in new york state revenues .
Michael Bloomberg is the mayor of New York.