Page 6 - aruba-today-20170107

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 7 January 2017

Philadelphia launches pre-K program funded by soda tax

ERRIN HAINES WHACK Northeast Philadelphia. Her
Associated Press mother, Lakesha, spends
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Thou- time reading with her and
sands of Philadelphia tod- teaching her letters, colors
dlers have started 2017 in a and numbers. But she and
citywide pre-kindergarten her husband, Eric Grant,
program as a new sugary wanted Makayla to inter-
beverage tax created to act more with other chil-
fund it hit store shelves. dren and develop her so-
The city launched the pre- cial skills. Before going to
K program this week with pre-K, Makayla attended
more than 2,000 children the local YMCA, which
enrolled at 90 locations. cost about $200 a month.
The 3- and 4-year-olds Daycares can cost $200
don’t have to come from a week. Eric Grant — who
families of certain income recently finished his active
levels, but the free pro- duty Army career and re-
gram targets high-need turned to Philadelphia from
neighborhoods. Camp Casey in South Ko-
During the enrollment pe- rea — was surprised that
riod this fall, officials re- the city had established a Teacher Patty Cronin helps three-year-old Makayla Grant open her package of cereal during
ceived more than 3,700 pre-K program. He called it preschool in Philadelphia, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Thousands of Philadelphia toddlers are starting
calls. Over 2,200 families “very beneficial.” 2017 in a city pre-kindergarten program, launched this week alongside a new sugary beverage
applied, and the city ex- “People aren’t going to tax created to fund it.
pects to have all of those stop drinking soda, so they Associated Press
applications completed by might as well use the mon- The 1.5 cent per ounce tax program started, the city More than 180,000 Philadel-
the end of January. ey to do something ben- on sodas and other sugary is looking at a lawsuit filed phians live in deep poverty,
Three-year-old Makayla eficial for Philadelphia,” he drinks is expected to raise by the American Beverage many of them children.
Grant finished her first week said. “Maybe more people $91 million over the next Association over the tax. The average household
in the program Friday at will see that it’s going to year. City attorneys have asked income for families who
SPIN Parkwood Pre-K in something positive.” But even as it gets the new the Pennsylvania Supreme applied during the recent
Court to hear the case. enrollment period is just un-
Democratic Mayor Jim der $35,000 a year. More
Kenney proposed the tax than eight in 10 applicants
soon after taking office last live at or below the federal
year as an innovative way poverty rate.
to pay for universal pre-K, The city council passed
one of his campaign priori- legislation creating the tax
ties. Kenney sold the tax — last summer. Kenney’s of-
which would also fund rec- fice stresses that the tax
reational projects across is paid by distributorships.
the city — by emphasizing The companies, howev-
the public good over pub- er, can then pass it on to
lic health. consumers.q