For many local business owners, the cost of expanding the bottle bill outweighs the benefits. Paul Barber, owner of the Flying Rhino Café in Worcester expressed his concern over the additional costs associated with expanding the bottle bill. Barber believes that expanding the bottle bill would force business owners and consumers to “bear additional costs for an ineffective system.”

Read the full story by the Worcester Business Journal by clicking here.

A new study by Lehigh University suggests that obesity is a far more complex issue than Mayor Nutter has led on. The mayor has tried to justify previous attempts to pass a soda tax in Philadelphia by citing increasing obesity rates. However, the new study suggests that there are many factors contributing to obesity and taxing soda would do little to resolve the problem.

Read the full story by the Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

Mayor Nutter’s refusal to accept CHOP funds may be an indication that he is ready to introduce a soda tax for the third time. In response to his decision, the mayor tweeted, “Taking money from Big Soda to fight obesity is like taking money from the NRA to fight guns. You can’t buy this City Hall.” New rationale for passing a soda tax appears to be the lack of funding for district schools.

Read the full story by Northeast Times Star by clicking here.

The City Council of Philadelphia reached a deal last night, but one that does not include the soda tax Mayor Nutter had proposed.  The Council will still be able to raise $53 million for the local school district but it will not come from the 2 cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.  

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/06/16/philadelphia-city-council-set-to-pass-partial-bailout-of-the-school-district-of-philadelphia-without-mayor-nutters-proposed-soda-tax/#.Tfs9UVMb2RQ;twitter

Marc Rayfield discussed the controversial issue of the soda-tax on KYW 1060 this week. Following Wednesday’s rally, City Council was expected to return to discussing the budget, which, if Mayor Nutter has his way, would include $100 million in new taxes.

Rayfield blamed the massive budget problem on the Council’s inability to act efficiently in the past, and said their solution shouldn’t be to pressure Philadelphians by dangling all day kindergarten, transportation issues, and alternative school choices in front of them.

Nutter may be between “a rock and hard place,” but a very expensive, quick patch in a fragile economy does not have to be the answer for Philadelphians.

“Our school system is broken enough, for our elected and appointed leaders it’s finally time to develop a strategic action plan that provides a long term solution.”

Listen here: KYW 1060, Marc Rayfield

Some of Mayor Nutter’s own Council members are already declaring his tax proposal dead, Philly.com’s Troy Graham, Jeff Shields, and Kristen Graham reported.

“Both taxes are pretty much DOA,” said Councilman James F. Kenney, usually a Nutter ally.

Several members have met with the President of the Council to discuss how to mend the School District’s budget woes without considering more taxes.

While the Council plans to consider a vote on the soda tax Thursday, clearly certain members realize there can be a way to solve some of the city’s problems without taking money and jobs from hardworking Philadelphians.

Click here to read

Those citizens at the rally yesterday outside City Hall say the soda industry is being unfairly targeted in an effort by Mayor Nutter to make up the gap in the School District’s budget. Councilman Green, Greenlee, O’Neill and Councilwoman Blackwell were also at the rally. The  Philadelphia Daily News reports that the “Council will resume a hearing on the tax proposals tomorrow morning and would likely have to make a decision by then to achieve final passage by June 23.” 

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/123870774.html

Union members and politicians were not discouraged to come out and make their voices heard at Wednesday’s City Hall anti-soda tax rally, despite having faced the same challenge, and overcoming Nutter’s similar tax proposal only last year.

Protesters came out with equal determination, Tom MacDonald wrote for WHYY’S Newsworks.org, with beverage trucks circling city hall honking and multiple politicians and beverage workers on the loudspeaker.

Daniel Grace of the Teamsters, a representing soda delivery drivers said the tax is unfair: “Because they are singling out one industry and not all industries that use sugar.”

Read more here.

Jonathan Saidel of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that many jobs in the city “depend on the health of the beverage industry.”  Passing this soda tax would cause “many residents either to stop buying [sugar-sweetened beverages] or to travel to the suburbs to do so.”  Mayor Nutter should recognize that Philadelphians are already over-taxed and this soda tax would just be an additional burden on many families in the city.  
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20110615_Mayor_s_beverage_tax_has_only_gotten_flatter.html

Soda distributors, store owners, teamsters and others planned to rally at City Hall Tuesday against Mayor Nutter’s proposed sugar-sweetened beverage tax, Troy Graham posted on a Philly.com blog Monday.

Council members Jannie Blackwell, Brian O’Neill, Maria Q Sanchez, and Bill Green were expected to attend the event to show their support of the cause, leaving Nutter with a more difficult time finding enough votes to pass the tax.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/heardinthehall/Soda-Rally-at-City-Hall.html