9 1 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁$ 6 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁election ▁cycle , ▁its ▁lo bb ying ▁grew ▁to ▁$ 8 . 6 7 ▁million . ▁These ▁funds ▁helped ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁ 2 5 ▁lo bb y ists ▁at ▁seven ▁different ▁lo bb ying ▁fir ms . ▁ ▁An ▁industry ▁group ▁called ▁" Amer icans ▁Again st ▁Food ▁Tax es ," ▁back ed ▁by ▁ju ice ▁mak er ▁Wel ch ' s , ▁soft ▁drink ▁mak er ▁Pe psi Co ▁Inc , ▁the ▁American ▁B ever age ▁Association , ▁the ▁Corn ▁Re fin ers ▁Association , ▁Mc Donald ' s ▁Corporation ▁and ▁Bur ger ▁King ▁Hold ings ▁Inc ▁used ▁national ▁advert ising ▁and ▁conducted ▁lo bb ying ▁to ▁opp ose ▁these ▁tax es . ▁The ▁group ▁has ▁character ized ▁the ▁s oda ▁tax ▁as ▁a ▁re gress ive ▁tax , ▁which ▁would ▁unf air ly ▁bur den ▁the ▁poor . ▁ ▁Arg uments ▁against ▁the ▁sug ary ▁drink s ▁tax ▁ ▁The ▁criteria ▁on ▁what ▁drink s ▁are ▁tax ed ▁may ▁not ▁include ▁equally ▁bad ▁subst it utes ▁like ▁fruit ▁ju ice , ▁energy - den se ▁sn acks ▁and ▁bis cu its . ▁ ▁The ▁tax ▁is ▁re gress ive ▁since ▁consum ers ▁on ▁lower ▁in comes ▁will ▁be ▁more ▁neg atively ▁impact ed ▁by ▁higher ▁prices ▁than ▁consum ers ▁on ▁higher ▁in