Opinion

King fizzle

As Mayor Bloomberg heads into the twilight of a mayoralty replete with dictatorial fiats, he’s getting a long-overdue reminder that a mayor is not an emperor. And it carries weight: It comes from a unanimous state Appellate Division ruling.

The panel struck down Bloomberg’s odious soda ban. Yes, soaring levels of obesity, his reason for wanting to ban soft drinks above 16 oz. in bodegas and theaters, are a concern. But in a democracy, there’s a right way and a wrong way to address such problems. And, as the court noted, the right way doesn’t include unilateral decrees.

Besides, if Bloomberg’s so sure he’s got the answer, why fear resistance from the City Council, which generally will ban anything (including effective policing tools)? That’s where he should have made his case.

But Bloomberg’s in no mood to quit: “Two thousand more Americans have died from obesity, just in the last few months. So whoever comes after us is going to have to continue with this, or this carnage is just going to continue,” he said.

Maybe. But the next mayor has a clear path. Rather than spend more taxpayer funds to prolong a misguided court fight, a mayor can take his case to the council. Or lobby Albany for a statewide standard.

It’s debatable whether a soda ban will make much of a dent in obesity levels. Or if the costs — to businesses and to individual freedoms — are worth it. But by acting a bit more democratically, the next mayor at least can air the debate.