Tuesday’s special election was decisive.  

Santa Fe’s soda tax failed badly in a vote that separated the working class poor and their families from the retired rich elite.  Voters defeated the Bloomberg-pushed soda tax, supported by Mayor Javier Gonzales.

Passage of the soda tax in liberal Santa Fe today looks like an easy lay-up for Mayor Gonzales.

 – Joe Monahan, via Twitter

Joe Monahan’s prediction that the soda tax would pass fell flat.  We wonder how much he was paid to make that prediction?!!  We haven’t consulted our Crocodiles, but we’re guessing they’re better informed than Joe’s Aligators.

Below are the results for the soda tax election: 

For: 8,382  (42.1%)

Against: 11,533 (57.9%)

“Santa Feans sent a clear message to elected officials in Santa Fe and throughout New Mexico,” said Rio Grande Foundation president Paul Gessing, “Solving our problems is not as simple as a new tax and a new government program.”

Interestingly enough, in the poorest neighborhoods the tax was beaten the worst.  Apparently families would rather have the freedom to drink more sweet drinks (without an exorbitant tax) than have the government fund the progressive home visiting and pre-K, that progressives claimed they would direct the money toward.  Imagine valuing feeding over government-controlled education?!