Malloy stifles his inner Bloomberg

New Haven — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is a fitness buff who watches his diet, but no one should expect him to endorse a 2 percent tax on soda proposed by the ally he successfully backed last fall for election as this city’s mayor, Toni Harp.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Malloy said. He added, “I think at some point, there’s a degree of personal choice to be made.”

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg led a crusade to discourage consumption of sugar-laden drinks that contribute to the nation’s epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Harp included the tax on her list of legislative priorities.

Last week, Harp correctly predicted in an interview with the New Haven Independent that Malloy would not go for a new tax. In fact, Harp admitted, she never brought up her idea in a meeting with Malloy.

“For the past couple of years, [Malloy] hasn’t wanted to do any new taxes,” Harp said. “At least for the first conversation, I didn’t want to put up any roadblocks or impediments for getting anything done.”