City of Berkeley Sugary Beverages and Soda Tax Question, Measure D (November 2014)

Now there is a tax on the same product based on the amount and not based on anything other than that...

City of Berkeley Sugary Beverages and Soda Tax Question, Measure D (November 2014)

Ballot question

The question on the ballot was:

Shall an ordinance imposing a 1¢ per ounce general tax on the distribution of high-calorie, sugary drinks (e.g., sodas, energy drinks, presweetened teas) and sweeteners used to sweeten such drinks, but exempting: (1) sweeteners (e.g., sugar, honey, syrups) typically used by consumers and distributed to grocery stores; (2) drinks and sweeteners distributed to very small retailers; (3) diet drinks, milk products, 100% juice, baby formula, alcohol, or drinks taken for medical reasons, be adopted? Full text The second section of the ordinance, entitled Purpose and Intent, is below: Section 2. Purpose and Intent A. Based on the findings set forth above, the purpose of this Ordinance is to diminish the human and economic costs of diseases associated with the consumption of sugary drinks by discouraging their distribution and consumption in Berkeley through a tax. Specifically, the purpose of this ordinance is to tax the distribution of sugary drinks and the products used to make them. B. This Ordinance is not intended for the purpose of regulation. C. This Ordinance does not authorize the conduct of any business or activity in the city, but merely provides for the taxation of distribution of specified products as it occurs. D. This Ordinance imposes a general tax on the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverages such as high-calorie, low-nutrition products, like soda, energy drinks, and heavily presweetened tea, as well as the added caloric sweeteners used to produce these sugar-sweetened beverages, such as the premade syrup used to make fountain drinks. Certain drinks containing sugar are exempted, including infant formula, milk products, and natural fruit and vegetable juice. E. This Ordinance provides for a small business exemption for Retailers who transport sugar-sweetened beverage products into the City themselves and then sell those products directly to consumers. F. This general tax will provide revenue to be available for the general governmental needs of the people of Berkeley. G. This Ordinance provides for a Sugar Sweetened Beverage Product Panel of Experts, composed of experts in the areas of public health, child nutrition, nutrition education, and food access programs. The Panel will make recommendations on how and to what extent the City should fund programs to further reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Berkeley and address the consequences of such consumption.   This is why...

Teefs painin'

Sepsis

Many doctors view sepsis as a three-stage syndrome, starting with sepsis and progressing through severe sepsis to septic shock. The goal is to treat sepsis during its mild stage, before it becomes more dangerous.

To be diagnosed with sepsis, you must exhibit at least two of the following symptoms:

    Body temperature above 101 F (38.3 C) or below 96.8 F (36 C)
    Heart rate higher than 90 beats a minute
    Respiratory rate higher than 20 breaths a minute
    Probable or confirmed infection

Severe sepsis

Your diagnosis will be upgraded to severe sepsis if you also exhibit at least one of the following signs and symptoms, which indicate an organ may be failing:

    Significantly decreased urine output
    Abrupt change in mental status
    Decrease in platelet count
    Difficulty breathing
    Abnormal heart pumping function
    Abdominal pain

Septic shock

To be diagnosed with septic shock, you must have the signs and symptoms of severe sepsis — plus extremely low blood pressure that doesn't adequately respond to simple fluid replacement.


In theory. 
Under the Affordable Care Act, more low-income Californians than ever before are enrolling in Medi-Cal, the state’s public insurance program. Medi-Cal provides dental benefits to children and recently restored them to adults after canceling them almost five years ago. Since January, about 100,000 people in Orange County have enrolled in Medi-Cal under the ACA, which means they can begin making appointments with dentists who participate in the program. In addition, 88,500 children in the county who were previously covered by a public insurance program called Healthy Families were transferred to Medi-Cal under state edict. These patients will now obtain dental care from Medi-Cal’s dental program, also known as Denti-Cal. But while health advocates applaud the changes, noting a significant drop in the ranks of the uninsured, there is great uncertainty about whether these new patients will have dentists to see. “Right now a lot of dentists are not Denti-Cal providers, which is sad,” said Dulce Medina, the director of prevention and community programs at Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County. “We can’t blame them because their reimbursements are extremely low.”

 

 

 

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