Berkeley

Berkeley to Vote on Measure D Soda Tax

Published

11 years ago

October 16, 2014

Voters in Berkeley will have an opportunity on Nov. 4 to decide if they want to levy a tax on sugary beverages.

The proposed “penny per ounce” tax in Berkeley, called Measure D, is backed by a community coalition that says sugary beverages are linked to obesity and related health issues such as diabetes.

Proponents of the measure say it will lower healthcare costs and promote a healthier standard of living. During the “Conversations on the Impacts of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages” at the Hillside Club on Sept. 4^th in Berkeley, Dr. Robert Lustig said, “That’s where the money goes: $2.7 trillion spent on health care in America last year, 75 percent for chronic metabolic diseases – and 75 percent of (those) are preventable…”

In part, Measure D seems to be a public health publicity campaign designed to raise public awareness. In addition, the potential rise in the cost of a soda might cause a young adult, or child, to rethink their purchase, perhaps even opt to buy something healthier.

Opponents say that if this measure is about prevention, then money collected from the tax should be allocated to an agency that can continue the battle. But it isn’t.

The measure directs the collected taxes to the City Manager and the general fund. If long-term goals of reducing diabetes and obesity are to be achieved, they say, more needs to be done than just a tax.

Another argument raised by opponents of Measure D is that it only targets a sliver of the high-calorie, low-nutrition food sector. Obesity is not caused by soda alone or even by junk food alone.

Back in 2006, a report titled “Banning Junk Food and Soda Sales in the State’s Public Schools” claims that laws banning soda sales in California will not be enough to combat childhood obesity.

When it comes to sugary drinks, there are some significant statistics:

The average American consumes 50 gallons of soda and other sweetened beverages each year;

Marketers spend close to $500 million dollars a year to reach children and adolescents with messages about sugar-sweetened drinks, more than they spend on any other category;

A child’s risk for obesity increases an average of 60 percent with every additional daily serving of soda;

41 percent of children ages 2–11 and 62 percent of adolescents ages 12–17 in California drink at least one soda or other sugar-sweetened beverage every day.

If Measure D passes, Berkeley will be the first city in the U.S. to impose a tax on sugary drinks, pending a similar measure on the ballot in San Francisco.

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Related Topics:Berkeley City government Measure D Politics Soda Tax

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“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

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Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

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Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

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Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

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Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

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Lawsuit Accuses UC Schools of Giving Preference to Black and Hispanic Students

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iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

A lawsuit filed in federal court accuses the University of California (UC) of racial discrimination in undergraduate admissions, alleging that Black and Latino students are favored over Asian American and white applicants. The lawsuit, filed by the group Students Against Racial Discrimination, claims UC’s admissions policies violate Proposition 209, a state law passed in 1996 that prohibits the consideration of race in public education.

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Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for the UC system, said the entity had not been served with the lawsuit.

“If served, we will vigorously defend our admission practices,” said Holbrook.

“We believe this to be a meritless suit that seeks to distract us from our mission to provide California students with a world-class education,” he said.

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The lawsuit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions, which has prompted challenges to race-conscious policies nationwide. The plaintiffs seek a court order preventing UC from collecting racial data in applications and request a federal monitor to oversee admissions decisions.