WMHSMUN XXXIV Pawnee City Council Background Guide “Unprecedented committees. Unparalleled debate. Unmatched fun.” Letter From the Director Dear Delegates, Welcome to WMHSMUN! I am Molly McDade and it is my pleasure to be your director for WMHSMUN XXXIV. This is my second time attending this conference and it will be my first time directing a committee at a college level. I remember when I came to William & Mary’s conference as a starry-eyed freshman I was in awe of the world of International Relations. I hope that this conference will inspire you and be as impactful for you as it was for me. I am a freshman at William and Mary, and I plan on majoring in Government or Business. I am from Alexandria, Virginia, which is in Northern Virginia (NOVA) twenty minutes outside of DC. I absolutely loved Model United Nations in high school, and I would love to talk to all of you about any of the cool conferences you have attended I am very interested in other cultures and I love traveling (fun fact: I’ve been to almost 10 different countries!) I also have a passion for baking, and I adore corgis! For this committee, I expect that all of you come prepared for some riveting debate. Although this committee is based off the comedy show Parks and Recreation, I do expect delegates to take this committee seriously and be professional in moderated caucuses. Our two main topics are the obesity crisis in Pawnee and dealing with the Newport Plot. Our committee is composed of characters from a variety of professions including health professionals, entrepreneurs, councilmembers, and politicians. I want you all to find ways to collaborate and incorporate the different angles these professionals have to offer into your resolutions. Additionally, although I am a die-hard fan and I have seen Parks and Recreation twice, by no means do I expect delegates to watch the entire show. The show is available on Hulu and on Amazon Prime. If you have never seen the show, I strongly recommend watching a bit of the seventh season and some episodes from earlier seasons, specifically the episodes “2017” and “Soda Tax”. That being said, Pawnee is a pretty zany place so I want you all to have fun and come up with some creative solutions that would make even Lil Sebastian proud. If you have any questions or concerns before the conference, please email me. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you! Molly McDade [email protected] Background Guide – Creating the D.C. Government Introduction This committee is set in the fictitious city of Pawnee, Indiana in the year 2017. Pawnee is located in South Central Indiana in Wamapoke county and is part of the 10th congressional district of Indiana. The city consists of a population of about 70,000 citizens, but it has recently grown after merging with the neighboring city, Eagleton.1 Pawnee is known as the birthplace of popular treat manufacturing company, Sweetums. Coincidentally, Pawnee is also nationally ranked as the fourth most obese city in the United States. The local government in Pawnee is council-manager system that is headed by a mayor, and also includes the city council, city manager, and several departments. The city council consists of elected officials who manage the city budget, allocate funds, and pass city- wide laws. The city manager is appointed by the city council and is tasked with overseeing the departments. The specialized departments are organized to tackle different needs of the community and are divided into the departments of: Transportation; Public Health; Animal Control; Fire; Library; Education, and Other Services. Specifically, under The Department of Other Services resides the Parks and Recreation Department, on which the TV show is based. Economically, Pawnee is composed of mostly working-class citizens, with a median household income of $38,360. Many Pawneeans are either local business owners or employed by the popular sweets manufacturing company, Sweetums. The over one thousand local businesses in Pawnee have flourished in recent years after an economic boom. Historically poor Pawnee made a stunning economic recovery in 2017 after the town merger with neighboring city, Eagleton. This union has brought a prosperous economy to Pawnee due to the influx of new jobs, Eagleton wealth, and businesses. Even more, tech giant Gryzzl has taken interest in the town and plans to move its headquarters to Pawnee, which has put the small town in the national spotlight. Things have never looked better for Pawnee, but after the merger of the two towns, the city needs to decide on its priorities. Should Pawnee focus on furthering the economic boom or should Pawnee aim to help citizens first? 2 Background Guide – Creating the D.C. Government Topic 1: The Obesity Crisis Overview Obesity is a serious health condition that affects nearly 1.9 billion worldwide. In 1997, the World Health Organization declared obesity a worldwide epidemic, however, since then the global obesity rate in other countries has steadily increased. Specifically, in the United States, there has been a 12% increase in obesity since 2002 and the numbers continue to grow. In 2018 alone, 42.2% of adults in the United States were classified as obese, meaning the condition affected over 70 million Americans.2 The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. and the sharp increase in recent years has caused global concern and will continue to plague the country the longer this crisis is left untreated. Obesity is defined by the CDC as “a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for persons of the same age and sex.” BMI is used to determine if a person’s weight is within a healthy, overweight, or obese range and is calculated as an individual's weight in kilograms divided by their height in meters squared (kg/m2). In the United States, the average BMI for an adult man and woman are 26.6 and 26.5, respectively.3 An overweight man or woman in the U.S. would have a BMI greater than 26.5-6, but an individual could be considered obese if their BMI exceeds 30. This health condition frequently increases an individual’s risk of contracting other serious illnesses. Obese persons are at risk of developing health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and high blood pressure. Obesity alone can kill, but the added health risks of other illnesses added can be a death sentence. Combined with obesity, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United states and cardiovascular diseases amount in 1 in 3 deaths in the United States.4 3 Background Guide – Creating the D.C. Government Obesity can be detrimental to an individual’s health and wellbeing, so it is important that individuals have access to treatment and prevention methods. Obesity can be caused by a diet of highly fatty or sugary foods and/or by infrequent physical activity. Nevertheless, obesity is preventable. With a diet of reduced sugars, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and frequent exercise obesity can be avoided. Additionally, when leaders at the state and local level work to educate their citizens about the health risks and ways to prevent obesity, this can be a fundamental building block in recovery. In addition to state programs, the CDC funds several nation-wide programs, such as REACH and the High Obesity Program, to further education on BMI and obesity prevention. Although the effects of obesity are dire, there is hope for recovery from the epidemic if communities work together. The Obesity Crisis in Pawnee “First in friendship, fourth in obesity!” Pawnee, Indiana leads the nation as one of the most obese cities in the United States. Citizens of Pawnee are inactive and frequent fast-food consumers who value their consumer choice. There are seven parks in the city, yet many go unused as Pawneeans rarely exercise. The local government needs to decrease obesity rates by incentivizing Pawneeans to change their diet and/ or exercise. However, this will prove to be a difficult task with the fast-food monopoly in Pawnee. A leading factor in the obesity spike in the town is the prevalence of unhealthy food options. One of the most popular restaurants in Pawnee is the burger chain, Paunch Burger, that boasts incredibly fatty meals and 512-ounce drinks. The most popular item at Paunch Burger is a fat saturated cheeseburger appropriately named the “Greasy Lard Bomb”. Another fan-favorite food option in Pawnee is the local candy manufacturer, Sweetums. Many Pawneeans continue to buy high in sugar Sweetums products, despite the adverse effects on their health. Sweetums also totes an impressively caloric menu of treats, such as the corn syrup based NutriYum bar and the 1,000 calorie SnackPak. Although many Pawneeans are loyal to the brands out of pure consumer choice, the socioeconomic status of Pawneeans may contribute to their fast- food diet. Obesity levels increase as income decreases, and with a primarily working-class population, many Pawneeans see fast food as a cheap and easy way to get by. Part of the issue with managing obesity in Pawnee is reducing the influence of fast-food joints in the community, specifically that of Sweetums. The corporation is a wealthy sweet company that started in Pawnee and continues to reign supreme. Sweetums has used several tactics to gain Pawneeans loyalty, such as free gifts, strategic marketing, and sponsorship deals. Sweetums influence is not limited to the community, but also spills into the local government. The company has managed to have their corn syrup- 4 Background Guide – Creating the D.C.