Monday, November 9, 2020 6:00 Pm City Hall Council Chambers, Bethel, AK

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Monday, November 9, 2020 6:00 Pm City Hall Council Chambers, Bethel, AK City of Bethel Parks, Recreation, Aquatic, Health & Safety Center Committee Regular Meeting - Monday, November 9, 2020 6:00 pm City Hall Council Chambers, Bethel, AK We are hosting our public meeting via Zoom. To join this meeting, follow these instructions: Go to the website, https://zoom.us/join or Brian Lefferts Call: 253-215-8782, 301-715-8592, 312-626-6799, 346-248-799, 699-900- Committee Chair 6833, or 929-205-6099 Term Expires 2020 Zoom Meeting ID: 939 7507 5606 Passcode: 004626 Judy Wasierski Vice-Chair I. CALL TO ORDER Term Expires 2021 II. ROLL CALL III. PEOPLE TO BE HEARD – Three minutes per person Kathy Hanson We are accepting written testimony from the public for each of our public Committee Member meetings. Deadline to submit written testimony will be 4:00pm the day of Term Expires 2021 the meeting. Please send written testimony to [email protected]. Beverly Hoffman Anonymous submissions will not be accepted. Committee Member IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Term Expires 2021 V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. October 12, 2020 Regular Meeting Garrett Hussion Committee Member Term Expires 2022 VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Phase II Multipurpose Facility Rose Henderson B. 2020 Committee Goals Committee Member C. Pinky’s Park Developments and Updates Park Names Term Expires 2023 D. Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Kathryn Baldwin E. Contracted Services/Re-establish a Parks and Recreation Department by Alt. Committee Member FY2022 Term Expires 2020 F. Boardwalk Issues G. Existing YKFC Maintenance Contracts Michelle DeWitt Council Representative Term Expires 2020 VII. NEW BUSINESS Stacey Reardon VIII. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE REPORT YK Fitness Center Director IX. YK FITNESS FACILITY DIRECTOR REPORT Corbin Ford X. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS Property Maint. Foreman XI. ADJOURNMENT Ex Officio Member Posted November 3, 2020 at City Hall, AC Co., Swanson’s, and the Post Office. Charlie Dan, Public Works Assistant Website: https://www.cityofbethel.org/prahscc City of Bethel, Alaska Parks, Recreation, Aquatic, Health & Safety Center Committee Minutes October 12, 2020 Regular Meeting Bethel, Alaska I. CALL TO ORDER: A regular Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting was held on October 12, 2020 via Zoom. Brian Lefferts called the meeting to order at 06:05 pm. II. ROLL CALL: Comprising a quorum of the committee, the following were present for Roll Call: Brian Lefferts, Judy Wasierski, Kathy Hanson, Beverly Hoffman, Rose Henderson, Michelle DeWitt and Garrett Hussion. Also Present: Charlie Dan and Stacey Reardon Unexcused Absence: Corbin Ford, Bill Arnold III. PEOPLE TO BE HEARD: IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: MOVED BY: Michelle DeWitt Motion to amend the agenda by bringing Unfinished SECONDED BY: Judy Wasierski Business D first. VOTE ON MOTION Motion carried by unanimous vote. V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: MOVED BY: Kathy Hanson Motion to approve meeting minutes for September 14, SECONDED BY: Judy Wasierski 2020. VOTE ON MOTION Motion carried by unanimous vote. VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: A. Phase II Multipurpose Facility- B. 2020 Committee Goals- C. Pinky’s Park Developments and Updates Park Names-Find out what Parks did not have the signs. Post on Facebook asking for suggestions on park names. One park a month, starting with Lion’s Club Park. D. Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax- MOVED BY: Michelle DeWitt Motion to suspend the rules to hear from Jamie Morgan. SECONDED BY: Beverly Hoffman VOTE ON MOTION Motion carried by unanimous vote. E. Contracted Services/Re-establish a Parks and Recreation Department by FY2022- VII. NEW BUSINESS: A. Boardwalk Issues-Pinky’s and Housing, Moravian Church and Kilbuck require maintenance B. Existing YKFC Maintenance Contracts VIII. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE REPORT: IX. YKFC FACILITY DIRECTOR’S REPORT: X. MEMBER COMMENTS: Brian Lefferts: Judy Wasierski: Kathy Hanson: Beverly Hoffman: Thank you all for a great committee! Parks, Recreation, Aquatic, Health & Safety Center Committee Minutes City of Bethel, Alaska October 12, 2020 Rose Henderson: Garrett Hussion: No comment Michelle DeWitt: Congrats, Sugar, on joining City Council. XI. ADJOURNMENT: MOVED BY: Beverly Hoffman Motion to adjourn. SECONDED BY: Kathy Hanson VOTE ON MOTION Motion carried by unanimous vote. With no further business, meeting adjourned at 07:50 PM. APPROVED THIS ______ DAY OF _____________, 2020. ______________________ ________________________ Brian Lefferts Charlie Dan Committee Chair Recorder of Minutes Parks, Recreation, Aquatic, Health & Safety Center Committee Minutes City of Bethel, Alaska October 12, 2020 Impact of Sugary Drinks and Sugary Drink Taxes Jamie Morgan Government Relations Regional Lead [email protected] 916-201-8115 Why Worry About Sugary Drinks? • Sugary drinks like soft drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened coffees and teas, and energy drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet. • About 23% of Alaska adults and almost 50% of Alaska high school students drink one or more sugary beverages every day. (2017 BRFSS, 2019 YRBS) • Among Yup’ik youth, sugary drinks contribute more than 75% of beverage intake. • 31% of Alaska 3-year-olds drink some amount of sugary beverages every day. (2018 Alaska Childhood Understanding Behaviors Survey) 2 Why Worry About Sugary Drinks? • The American Heart Association recommends that children have no more than one 8-ounce sugary drink a week— but children are consuming as much as ten times that amount. • A 20-ounce bottle of soda contains the equivalent of approximately 17 teaspoons of added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume no more than five to nine teaspoons of added sugars per day. 3 Sugary Drinks: Health Impact • The harmful health effects of sugary drinks are clear: Having even one per day significantly increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, obesity and tooth decay. • In the United States, 40,000 deaths every year are attributed to heart problems caused specifically by consuming too many sugary drinks. • The potential harms for children, who consume an average of more than 30 gallons of sugary drinks a year—including sports drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and soda—are particularly concerning. • In addition to weight gain, excess consumption of added sugars, especially from sugary drinks, raises the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay. • Having one more sugary drink each day can increase a person’s risk of hypertension by 8 percent and risk of heart disease by 17 percent. 4 Sugary Drink Taxes The American Heart Association supports a multipronged approach to address high sugary drink consumption. One policy we advocate for are sugary drink taxes. A sugary drink tax of at least 2 cents per ounce can help: • Raise revenue for important programs like opportunities for increased physical activity, healthier food in schools, initiatives to prevent diabetes and other chronic diseases, education campaigns about sugary drinks and healthy eating. • Target investment of revenues in low-income communities disproportionately affected by health conditions caused by sugary drinks. • Reduce the rates of, and curb rising costs from preventable chronic diseases. • Increase awareness about the harmful effects of sugary drinks and shift sales to healthier products. • Discourage consumption of sugary drinks by raising their prices. Sugary drink taxes work: • Evidence shows that these taxes can reduce consumption of sugary drinks and are raising critical revenue that fund programs and policies to improve health and education for children and families, particularly those in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. • The Choices Project modeled an Alaska sugary drink excise tax based on a volume tax structure of $0.03/ounce. Results showed that the tax would prevent thousands of cases of childhood and adult obesity, prevent new cases of diabetes, increase healthy life years and avoid more in future health care costs than it costs to implement. 5 Thank You. 6 Sugary Drinks Excise Tax Alaska Intervention Strategy Description Implementation of a state excise tax on sugary drinks based on either solely the size of the beverage (“volume tax”; $0.03/ounce) or both beverage size and sugar content (“graduated tax”: $0.03/ounce for higher-sugar-content beverages and $0.02/ounce for lower-sugar-content beverages). The tax in either form would be applied at the wholesale level, be administered by the state and be based on proposals considered by federal, state, and local governments and the American Heart Association.1-4 Background Sugary drinks include all beverages with added caloric sweeteners. The modeled excise tax does not apply to Summary Results 2015-2025 100% juice, milk products, or artificially-sweetened beverages. Although sugary drinks consumption has Volume Tax: Graduated declined in recent years, adolescents and young adults in $0.03/ounce Tax: the United States consume more sugar than the Dietary $0.03/ounce Guidelines for Americans recommend, with persistent & 0.02/ounce # of Cases of Obesity racial/ethnic disparities.5-8 Randomized trials and 7,220 6,830 Prevented in 10th year longitudinal studies have linked sugary drinks consumption Health Care Cost to excess weight gain, diabetes, and cardiovascular $19.30 $18.40 Avoided per $1 disease. Consumption of sugary drinks increases the risk of Invested chronic diseases through its impact on weight and other Cost per Case of Costs avoided Costs avoided 9,10 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, mechanisms. The Obesity Prevented 2015-202011 recommend that
Recommended publications
  • SHOULD WE TAX UNHEALTHY FOODS and DRINKS? Donald Marron, Maeve Gearing, and John Iselin December 2015
    SHOULD WE TAX UNHEALTHY FOODS AND DRINKS? Donald Marron, Maeve Gearing, and John Iselin December 2015 Donald Marron is director of economic policy initiatives and Institute fellow at the Urban Institute, Maeve Gearing is a research associate at the Urban Institute, and John Iselin is a research assistant at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. The authors thank Laudan Aron, Kyle Caswell, Philip Cook, Stan Dorn, Lisa Dubay, William Gale, Genevieve Kenney, Adele Morris, Eric Toder, and Elaine Waxman for helpful comments and conversations; Joseph Rosenberg for running the Tax Policy Center model; Cindy Zheng for research assistance; Elizabeth Forney for editing; and Joanna Teitelbaum for formatting. This report was funded by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. We thank our funders, who make it possible for Urban to advance its mission. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to our funders, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, the Urban Institute, or its trustees. Funders do not determine our research findings or the insights and recommendations of our experts. For more information on our funding principles, go to urban.org/support. TAX POLICY CENTER | URBAN INSTITUTE & BROOKINGS INSTITUTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A healthy diet is essential to a long and vibrant life. But there is increasing evidence that our diets are not as healthy as we would like. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other conditions linked to what we eat and drink are major challenges globally. By some estimates, obesity alone may be responsible for almost 3 million deaths each year and some $2 trillion in medical costs and lost productivity (Dobbs et al.
    [Show full text]
  • A Local Excise Tax on Sugary Drinks
    DENVER: Sugary Drink Excise Tax Executive Summary Continually rising rates of obesity represent one of the greatest public health threats facing the United States. Obesity has been linked to excess consumption of sugary drinks. Federal, state, and local governments have considered implementing excise taxes on sugary drinks to reduce consumption, reduce obesity and provide a new source of government revenue.1-4 We modeled implementation of a city excise tax, a tax on sugary drinks only, at a tax rate of $0.02/ ounce. The tax model was projected to be cost-saving and resulted in lower levels of sugary drink consumption, thousands of cases of obesity prevented, and hundreds of millions of dollars in health care cost savings. Health care cost savings per dollar invested was $11 in the model. Results prepared by Denver Public Health and the CHOICES Project team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Moreland J, Kraus (McCormick) E, Long MW, Ward ZJ, Giles CM, Barrett JL, Cradock AL, Resch SC, Greatsinger A, Tao H, Flax CN, and Gortmaker SL. Funded by The JPB Foundation. Results are those of the authors and not the funders. For further information, contact cgiles@ hsph.harvard.edu and visit www.choicesproject.org The information in this report is intended to provide educational information on the cost-effectiveness of Sugary Drink Taxes. 1 DENVER: Sugary Drink Excise Tax Background Although sugary drink consumption has declined in recent years, adolescents and young adults in the United States consume more sugar than the Dietary Guidelines
    [Show full text]
  • A Legal & Practical Guide for Designing Sugary Drink Taxes
    A Legal and Practical Guide for Designing Sugary Drink Taxes Second Edition Cola SPORT ENERGY Contents Introduction 3 Why Tax Sugary Drinks? 5 Legal Authority 7 Preemption 8 Sugary Drink Tax Design 9 What Type of Tax to Pass 10 Defining the Tax Base 11 Which Beverages Are Subject to the Tax? 14 Setting the Tax Rate 16 Dedication of Revenues 17 Ballot Measure Versus Legislation 20 Implementing the Tax 21 Key Implementation Steps 21 Tax Education and Community Outreach Activities 22 Potential Challenges to Tax Efforts 23 Conclusion 25 Appendix I: Model Findings 26 Appendix II: Sample and Model Ordinance Language 31 Notes 36 TABLES Table 1: Sugary Drink Taxes in the United States as of November 30, 2018 6 Table 2: Comparing Sugary Drink Tax Bases 13 Table 3: Product Price Changes for Volume- and Sugar-Based Taxes 16 Table 4: Activities and Programs Funded by Sugary Drink Taxes 17 2 A Legal and Practical Guide for Designing Sugary Drink Taxes | changelabsolutions.org | healthyfoodamerica.org Introduction Sugary drinks are the number one source of added In the last few years, one strategy has received sugars in our diet, representing almost half of growing support from both the public and all added sugars consumed in the United States.1 policymakers: taxing sugary drinks to both reduce These added sugars are a major contributor to consumption and raise revenues that can be the country’s high rates of heart disease, type 2 invested in promoting healthier communities. diabetes, obesity, poor oral health, and other chronic Recently enacted sugary
    [Show full text]
  • A Critical Review Exploring Taxation on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages As a Strategy to Address Obesity in Canada
    Journal of the HEIA Vol. 26, No. 1, 2020 A critical review exploring taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages as a strategy to address obesity in Canada Alyssa Ramuscak This is the joint winning paper in the graduate category of the Dr Elisabeth Feniak Award for Excellence in Technical Writing 2019 presented by the Canadian Home Economics Foundation. Abstract such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Canada’s growing obesity epidemic has the certain cancers, and places individuals at a potential to threaten the sustainability of our greater risk of premature death (Niebylski et al., economy and healthcare system (Niebylski et al., 2015; PHAC & CIHI, 2011). In 2008, obesity 2015). Currently, one in four Canadian adults are cost the Canadian economy $4.6 billion and this obese, placing them at a higher risk of chronic cost is projected to continue to grow (PHAC & diseases and premature death (Navaneelan & CIHI, 2011). If no proactive measures are taken Janz, 2014). To address this growing issue, to address the obesity epidemic, obesity has the the World Health Organization (WHO) potential to threaten global economies and the recommends using national-level strategies to sustainability of healthcare systems (Niebylski et combat obesity. Specifically, WHO has outlined al., 2015). that these strategies should include economic tools such as taxes to promote the consumption Taxation of unhealthy foods—for example, of healthier foods and beverages (Veerman et sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)—has been al., 2016). Currently, 40 countries and several recommended by several health organisations as jurisdictions in the United States (US) have a viable national-level strategy to address obesity (Veerman et al., 2016).
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting the Health of All Residents: a Sugary Drink Excise Tax in DC
    Protecting the Health of All Residents: A Sugary Drink Excise Tax in DC Introduction Excess consumption of added sugars, especially from sugary drinks, poses a grave threat to the health of children, adolescents and adults in the District of Columbia, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority communities. An excise tax on soda and other sugary drinks in the District would decrease consumption, reduce the health impacts caused by excess sugar consumption, and provide an important source of revenue to promote equity and reduce health disparities in the District. Sugary Drink Consumption Linked to Poor Health Sugary drinks contribute to excess consumption of added sugars, which is linked to numerous chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes1, heart disease2, and obesity.3 The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that added sugars account for no more than 10% of calories4, but children and adolescents are consuming 17% of their calories from added sugars.5 Sugary drinks, which include regular soda, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, and sweet tea, are the number one source of added sugars in the American diet, contributing nearly 50% of added sugars.6 Sugary Drinks Fast Facts • Are the leading source of added sugars in the US diet • Provide no nutritional value • Increase risk for: obesity type 2 diabetes cardiovascular disease hypertension liver disease tooth decay The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day for adult women and children and nine teaspoons for men. A single 20-ounce bottle of soda has 17 teaspoons (65 grams) of added sugar—nearly twice the AHA recommendation for sugar consumption for an adult man and three times the recommendation for a child.7 Consumption of sugar in drinks is particularly problematic because it lacks nutritional value, is easy to consume in large amounts and fails to make people feel full.
    [Show full text]
  • Drink on Me—Modifying the Laws Regarding Energy Drinks in Australia
    Have a (Non-Energy) Drink on Me—Modifying the Laws Regarding Energy Drinks in Australia MARILYN BROMBERG, NICHOLAS CARDACI, GINA TRAPP & KATHY LUONG* ABSTRACT Energy drinks are a relatively new product that are available worldwide. They are non-alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine and may also contain carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, and other substances. When energy drinks are consumed, they can cause negative health repercussions, particularly upon children. This Article explains the negative health impacts that energy drinks can have upon children and it also examines the law concerning energy drinks in-depth in three key areas: taxes, advertising, and labeling. This Article is one of the few peer-reviewed journal articles to argue, from a legal perspective, that governments must ban the sale of energy drinks to children. INTRODUCTION Don’t judge an energy drink by its cover. When looking at an energy drink, a person sees an attractively packaged beverage with enticing slogans making promises of enhanced performance. Admittedly, the companies producing these energy drinks recommend that adolescents do not consume them. Ironically, adolescents are among the group with the highest consumption rates, as data suggests that one in every two Australian adolescents consume them.1 When looking beneath the surface and reviewing the health literature, an individual will find that in stark contrast to the cover, energy drinks can negatively affect young people in a variety of ways. It is crucial to comprehensively consider the legislation that regulates them and ensure that * Dr. Marilyn Bromberg is a senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia Law School.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxing Sugary Beverages to Expand Prekindergarten: the Advocacy Lessons of Philadelphia and Santa Fe
    Taxing Sugary Beverages to Expand Prekindergarten: The Advocacy Lessons of Philadelphia and Santa Fe Adele Robinson and Eric Luedtke University of Maryland College Park November 2018 Contents Methodology and Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 2 Preemption Law and Advocacy Venue......................................................................................................... 3 3 Philadelphia’s Special Situation ..................................................................................................................... 4 4 Political Leadership ......................................................................................................................................... 5 5 Coalitions, Grassroots, and Grasstops .......................................................................................................... 5 6 Competing Messages ....................................................................................................................................... 7 7 Council Deliberations, Alternatives, and Decisions .................................................................................... 8 8 Financing Advocacy .....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • SUGARY DRINK TAXES: How a Sugary Drink Tax Can Benefit Rhode Island
    SUGARY DRINK TAXES: how a sugary drink tax can benefit Rhode Island As of now, seven cities across the nation have successfully implemented sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes, also known as sugary drink taxes. Evaluations of these taxes not only show the important health benefits of adopting this tax but shed light on the best strategies for implementation of this policy. Below are some valuable findings from the cities that have implemented SSB taxes and how this data can be used to implement the tax in Rhode Island. How do SSB taxes impact health? Currently, SSBs are the leading source of added sugar in the American diet and there is extensive evidence showing an association between these beverages and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dental caries, osteoporosis, and obesity.1 Yet, multiple cities that have implemented the SSB tax have seen downward trends in the consumption of SSBs that could lead to improved health outcomes and greater healthcare savings.1 Three years after implementing the tax, Berkeley saw a 50% average decline in SSB consumption with an increase in water consumption. Similarly, in Philadelphia, the probability of consuming regular soda fell by 25% and the intake of water rose by 44% only six months after the tax was effective.2 Philadelphia adults who typically consumed one regular soda per day before the tax transitioned to drinking soda every three days after the tax.2 This shift in behavior has very important health implications; SSB taxes are linked with a significant reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and with a decrease in BMI and body weight.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloading of Respon- from the Federal Government Slashed
    ALTERNATIVE FEDERAL BUDGET 2013 DOING BETTER TOGETHER ISBN 978-1-77125-059-7 This report is available free of charge at www. policyalternatives.ca. Printed copies may be or- dered through the CCPA National Office for $10. PleaSe make a doNatIoN... Help us to continue to offer our publications free online. With your support we can continue to produce high quality research — and make sure it gets into the hands of citizens, journalists, policy makers and progres- sive organizations. Visit www.policyalternatives.ca or call 613-563-1341 for more information. The opinions and recommendations in this report, and any errors, are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers or funders of this report. 5 Introduction 8 Macroeconomic Policy 24 Fair and Progressive Taxation 31 Aboriginal Women 37 Arts and Culture 41 Cities and Communities 48 Communications 54 Defence 58 Early Childhood Education and Care 63 Employment Insurance 67 Energy 71 Environment 77 First Nations 82 Food Sovereignty 89 Health Care 96 Housing 103 Immigration 110 International Development 114 Official Languages 116 Post-Secondary Education 121 Poverty and Inequality 128 Sustaining Public Services 135 Sector Development Policy 141 Seniors and Retirement Security 146 Trade Policy 151 Water 158 Women’s Equality 163 Youth 167 Appendix 170 Ackowledgements Introduction Fragile growth. Strong headwinds. We know enues and expenditures but triggered another how hard it has been for governments, many round of recession across Europe. businesses, and people to make progress Even the International Monetary Fund these days. But we can do better. has admitted that they got it wrong: the ef- With the federal government a willing fects of austerity on economic recovery were partner, Canadians can seize the opportun- much worse than anticipated.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pros and Cons of Taxing Sweetened Beverages Based On
    STATE AND LOCAL FINANCE INITIATIVE RESEARCH REPORT The Pros and Cons of Taxing Sweetened Beverages Based on Sugar Content Norton Francis Donald Marron Kim Rueben December 2016 ABOUT THE URBAN INSTITUTE The nonprofit Urban Institute is dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. For nearly five decades, Urban scholars have conducted research and offered evidence-based solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities across a rapidly urbanizing world. Their objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector. Copyright © December 2016. Urban Institute. Permission is granted for reproduction of this file, with attribution to the Urban Institute. Cover image by Tim Meko. Contents Acknowledgments v Executive Summary vi The Pros and Cons of Taxing Sweetened Beverages Based on Sugar Content 1 Taxing Sugar Content Is the Least Costly Way to Reduce Sugar Consumption 3 Sugar Content 3 Previous Studies 4 Modeling Different Tax Approaches 4 Distributional Considerations 6 Business Responses and Reformulation 6 Taxing Based on Sugar Content Is Feasible at the National Level 7 Taxing Based on Sugar Content Raises More Issues at the State and Local Level but Is Generally Feasible As Well 8 Collection Points 8 Legal Authority 9 Cross-Border Coordination 11 Experience with Taxes Based on Content or Categories 12 Conclusion 13 Appendix A. Modeling Policy Trade-Offs in Designing Sweetened-Beverage Taxes 15 Model 15 Strategy 15 Consumer Demand 16 Soft Drink Volumes, Prices, and Sugar Content 16 Pass-Through 17 Outcomes of Interest 17 Tax Designs 18 Results 19 Taxes That Raise the Same Revenue 19 Taxes That Achieve the Same Reduction in Sugar 21 Discussion and Limitations 22 Notes 24 References 26 About the Authors 28 Statement of Independence 30 IV CONTENTS Acknowledgments This report was funded by the American Heart Association with additional funds from other general support funders of the State and Local Finance Initiative.
    [Show full text]
  • 2018 Advocacy Summit Proposal Appendix
    2018 Advocacy Summit Proposal Appendix 2018 SESSION INTRODUCED 18102670D INTRODUCED 1 SENATE BILL NO. 732 2 Offered January 10, 2018 3 Prefiled January 10, 2018 4 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 18.2-308.09, 18.2-308.2:1, 18.2-308.2:2, 18.2-308.2:3, and 19.2-386.28 5 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 6 18.2-308.1:6, relating to purchase, possession, and transport of firearms following certain 7 convictions; permit to restore rights; penalties. 8 ±±±±±±±±±± Patron±±Favola 9 ±±±±±±±±±± 10 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 11 ±±±±±±±±±± 12 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 13 1. That §§ 18.2-308.09, 18.2-308.2:1, 18.2-308.2:2, 18.2-308.2:3, and 19.2-386.28 of the Code of 14 Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section 15 numbered 18.2-308.1:6 as follows: 16 § 18.2-308.09. Disqualifications for a concealed handgun permit. 17 The following persons shall be deemed disqualified from obtaining a permit: 18 1. An individual who is ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to § 18.2-308.1:1, 18.2-308.1:2, or 19 18.2-308.1:3, or 18.2-308.1:6 or the substantially similar law of any other state or of the United States. 20 2. An individual who was ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to § 18.2-308.1:1 and who was 21 discharged from the custody of the Commissioner pursuant to § 19.2-182.7 less than five years before 22 the date of his application for a concealed handgun permit.
    [Show full text]
  • Regressive Sin Taxes, with an Application to the Optimal Soda Tax
    Regressive Sin Taxes, with an Application to the Optimal Soda Tax Hunt Allcott, Benjamin B. Lockwood, and Dmitry Taubinsky∗ First version: January 2017 This version: May 2019 Abstract A common objection to \sin taxes"|corrective taxes on goods that are thought to be over- consumed, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and sugary drinks|is that they often fall dispropor- tionately on low-income consumers. This paper studies the interaction between corrective and redistributive motives in a general optimal taxation framework and delivers empirically imple- mentable formulas for sufficient statistics for the optimal commodity tax. The optimal sin tax is increasing in the price elasticity of demand, increasing in the degree to which lower-income consumers are more biased or more elastic to the tax, decreasing in the extent to which con- sumption is concentrated among the poor, and decreasing in income effects, because income effects imply that commodity taxes create labor supply distortions. Contrary to common intu- itions, stronger preferences for redistribution can increase the optimal sin tax, if lower-income consumers are more responsive to taxes or are more biased. As an application, we estimate the optimal nationwide tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, using Nielsen Homescan data and a spe- cially designed survey measuring nutrition knowledge and self-control. Holding federal income tax rates constant, our estimates imply an optimal federal sugar-sweetened beverage tax of 1 to 2.1 cents per ounce, although optimal city-level taxes could be as much as 60% lower due to cross-border shopping. ∗Allcott: New York University and NBER. [email protected].
    [Show full text]