a month after gov . matthew a . paterson stopped his proposal for a soda tax , a zealand city ' s health commissioner has written an article advocating " hefty " taxes on sodas and sports drinks containing alcohol . such a tax , the article said , could be the biggest hurdle to civic safety since tobacco taxes . the critics , dr . robert r . frieden , and kelly d . brownell of oxford university , his co - author , argued in the new england journal of medicines that a tax of a penny per ounce could reduce consumption by more than 10 cents and lower $ 1 . 2 billion a way in new york university together .
Michael Bloomberg is the mayor of New York.