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From YouTube: Press Conference on the Philadelphia Beverage Tax Ruling from the PA Supreme Court 7-18-2018
Description
Mayor Jim Kenney, Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District) and City Solicitor Marcel Pratt took questions from the press regarding the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's 4-2 ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax.
More info: http://phlcouncil.com/supreme-court-decision-to-uphold-philadelphia-beverage-tax/
A
Funding
mechanism-
that
was
the
least
onerous
to
taxpayers.
We
chose
to
tax
the
distribution
of
sweetened
beverages
because,
unlike
wage
or
property
taxes,
it's
a
tax
that
no
consumer
must
pay.
We
have
a
choice:
you
can
buy
these
non-essential
non-nutritious
drinks
or
not
buy
them
today.
The
highest
court
in
the
Commonwealth
world
that
our
administration
and
our
great
colleagues
in
City
Council
have
the
full
legal
authority
to
impose
this
tax.
We
are
grateful
to
the
Justice
of
the
Pennsylvania
Supreme
Court,
for
their
fair
and
careful
review
of
this
case.
A
We
maintain
from
the
day
we
proposed
the
tax
that
it
stood
on
solid
legal
footing
and
the
Justice
justices,
like
the
two
courts
before
them
agreed.
I,
really
like
to
thank
city
solicitor,
Marcel
Pratt
and
his
predecessor,
societal
on
Tate
and
the
entire
Philadelphia
law
department,
along
with
outside
counsel,
for
their
brilliant
work.
A
A
Most
of
all,
we
thank
the
thousands
of
advocates
and
everyday
people
outside
this
government
who
refused
to
heed
to
incessant
misinformation
spewed
by
the
local
beverage
industry
and
who
were
vocal
and
forceful
in
their
support
of
these
programs.
This
was
our
army
of
unpaid
lobbyists
beyond
the
legal
resolution.
Today's
decisive
ruling
offers
renewed
hope
for
tens
of
thousands
of
Philadelphia's
children
and
families
who
struggle
for
better
lives
in
the
face
of
rampant
poverty.
Those
families
in
the
entire
city
of
Philadelphia
now
have
a
clear
path
towards
substantive,
tangible
improvements
in
their
lives.
A
It
is
a
path
that
will
bring
the
educational
gains
of
free
quality,
pre-k
the
benefits
to
neighborhoods
brought
by
community
schools
and
the
quality
of
life
improvements
and
economic
benefits
brought
by
rebuilding
parks,
recreation,
centers
playgrounds
and
libraries
in
neighborhoods.
Throughout
our
city,
these
programs,
funded
by
the
beverage
tax,
will
fuel
the
aspirations
and
dreams
of
those
who
have
waited
too
long
for
investments
in
their
communities.
The
city
of
Philadelphia
will
proceed
expeditiously
with
our
original
plans
delayed
in
whole
or
part
by
newly
two
years
of
litigation
to
ramp
up
these
programs.
A
Of
course,
as
always,
of
course,
the
multibillion-dollar
beverage
industry
will
not
stop
here.
As
most
of
you
know,
they
already
have
legislation
in
Harrisburg
introduced
by
a
person
from
Pittsburgh
that
would
threaten
not
only
this
tax,
but
also
the
ability
of
any
town
or
city
in
Pennsylvania
to
find
local
solutions
to
local
problems.
I
urge
anyone
reading
or
reading
this
reading,
a
story
about
this
or
hearing
my
words
to
urge
their
state
representative
to
oppose
that
measure.
It
would
be
devastating
to
the
entire
state
and
we
would
not
be
no
community.
A
A
Thanks
to
the
programs
funded
by
the
tax
I
hear
from
working
moms
and
dads
who
are
now
able
to
get
to
work
while
they're,
3
or
4
year
old,
is
in
free
pre-k,
getting
the
skills
they
need
to
be
successful
in
kindergarten,
and
today
we
remain
resolute
that
their
needs
and
the
needs
of
communities
that
have
been
targeted
for
decades
by
the
beverage
industries.
Marketing
arms
will
remain
paramount
to
this
administration.
A
With
this
funding
and
this
new
ruling,
we
we
now
move
forward
to
the
real
challenge
of
building
a
greater
Philadelphia
and
the
frustration
I
guess
has
been
in
it's
always
frustration
during
litigation.
That's
protracted
is
that
all
the
children
that
we
haven't
been
able
to
reach
yet
2,700
kids
have
been
reached
by
the
pre-k
program.
We've
had
the
delay
the
rec
center
library,
the
renovations.
We
were
eight
we're
unable
to
expand
pre
community
schools
to
the
extent
we
wanted
to
expand
it.
We're
now
full
speed
ahead
and
doing
what
we
need
to
do.
A
These
equity
on
to
give
our
kids
a
chance
to
meet
their
potential,
and
then
this
is
what
I've
been
saying
since
I
started
running
for
mayor
along
seems
like
30
years
ago
that
we
wanted
our
children
to
be
able
to
meet
their
potential,
all
children
from
every
neighborhood
in
the
city.
These
are
our
kids.
They
belong
to
us
whether
we
birth
them
or
we
didn't
they're
still
our
children
and
we
have
a
responsibility
to
meet
their
needs
and
when
the
needs
are
not
being
met
from
from
a
federal
government
or
state
government.
A
We
need
to
help
ourselves
and
we've
always
said
that
from
the
beginning,
we're
willing
to
help
ourselves
and
we're
doing
that
Council.
Does
it
every
week
and
helping
us
to
move
these
programs
forward.
So
I
want
to
thank
you
all
for
being
here
and
I
really
want
to
turn
it
over
to
my
friend
and
colleague
and
partner,
and
all
these
programs.
Our
council
president
Dale
Clark.
B
Thank
You
mr.
mayor
good
afternoon,
I
just
want
to
repeat
what
the
mayor
were
saying,
but
there
were
a
lot
of
people
involved
in
this
from
the
advocates.
The
unpaid
lobbyists
I,
actually
love
unpaid
lobbyists,
all
the
people
across
the
city
of
Philadelphia
that
understood
the
importance
of
me
being
able
to
have
good
programs,
and
we
really
would
want
to
thank
them.
I
obviously
want
to
thank
my
colleagues
who
took
a
very
tough
vote.
It's
very
difficult
challenge:
I!
B
B
Folks
were
saying
you
know
you
guys
are
up
against
all
these
highly
paid
lawyers
and
the
whole
nine
yards,
and
sometimes
people
downplay
the
skill
sets
associated
with
government
employees
and
particularly
the
lawyers
who
clearly
had
the
ability
to
do
something
else
in
life
and
work
for
government.
So
I
want
to
thank
Suzy
Suzy,
actually
texted
me
and
I
want
to
thank
Marcella
and
your
team.
B
And
you
know,
and
I
want
to
commend
the
Supreme
Court,
this
Supreme
Court
Pennsylvania
Supreme
Court,
for
for
for
the
ability
to
recognize
the
the
rights
of
a
local
municipality
to
enact
legislation
to
raise
revenue
to
support
its
citizens
and
provide
programs
to
a
citizens,
because,
at
the
end
of
the
day,
we
can't
look
to
anyone
else.
I
want
to
commend
the
Supreme
Court
for
coming
down
a
ruling
and
recognizing
the
rights
of
us
to
enact
this
legislation
so
to
everybody
mayor,
congratulations,
everybody!
Thank
you
all!
B
A
I
want
to
ask
our
lawyer,
and
it's
our
lawyer,
council,
president
and
Council,
and
the
mayor's
office.
It's
yes.
He
got
good
clients
here,
a
terrific
lawyer,
the
person
who's
been
not
only
in
the
beverage
tax,
but
on
our
welcome
when
our
sanctuary
City
issue
a
welcoming
City
issue.
You
know
federal
court
he's
just
a
terrific
litigator,
a
very,
very
smart
young
man
and
we're
happy
that
he's
great,
that
he's
he
and
Susie
before
him.
A
C
Thank
You,
mayor
and
council
president
for
those
kind
words
today,
the
highest
court
in
our
Commonwealth
affirmed
legality
of
the
Philadelphia
beverage
tax,
as
we
have
stated
since
City
Council.
First
past
attacks,
the
city
of
Philadelphia
possessed
the
legal
authority
to
enact
attacks
because
of
the
broad
taxing
authority
granted
by
the
sternly
act.
C
As
the
Pennsylvania
Supreme
Court
has
now
recognized.
The
Stirling
Act
was
intended
to
provide
tax
revenue
for
Philadelphia
and
to
enhance
the
city's
ability
to
address
essential
local
needs
and
issues.
This
is
precisely
why
the
city
of
Philadelphia
enacted
the
beverage
tax
to
fund
programs
and
initiatives
that
our
city
desperately
needs.
It
also
reinforces
the
principle
that
our
mayor,
City,
Council
and
the
people
of
Philadelphia
know
what's
the
best
for
Philadelphia
once
and
for
all.
It
is
now
beyond
question
that
the
Philadelphia
beverage
tax
is
not
duplicative
of
the
state
retail
sales
tax.
C
As
the
Pennsylvania
Supreme
Court
said,
the
payer
of
the
beverage
tax
is
the
distributor
or
in
certain
circumstances,
dealers,
but
never.
The
purchasing
consumer
I
also
want
to
take
this
opportunity
to
thank
a
few
people
who
were
essential
and
a
part
of
our
legal
team
on
this
case.
First
I
must
thank
the
law
departments,
Richie,
fader
and
Francis
Beckley.
They
deserve
credit.
C
They
deserve
credit
for
the
a
very
creative
drafting
of
the
legislation
and
being
a
part
of
the
litigation
effort
from
the
beginning.
We
wouldn't
be
here
today
without
your
work
and
they've
worked
on
this
issue
for
many
years,
so
this
is
a
very
sweet
victory
for
them.
I
also
want
to
thank
our
outside
counsel.
The
law,
firms
of
hengly
Erin,
chick
and
Chamberlain
hurt
Lucca
for
leading
the
city's
litigation
effort,
and
especially
Marc
Erin,
chick
John,
Stapleton
and
Andrew
hurtling,
John
and
Andrew
here
today.
So
thank
you.
C
And
I
also
want
to
thank
Ken,
Trujillo
and
Matthew,
oh
lash,
from
Chamberlain
for
their
support
as
well.
I
also
want
to
thank
the
many
organizations
that
filed
amicus
briefs
in
support
of
the
city's
case,
the
sustainable
business
network
of
Greater
Philadelphia,
the
International
missable
Lawyers
Association
PC
CY,
Seba,
Delaware,
Valley
Association
for
the
education
of
young
children,
the
parks,
Alliance
African,
American,
Chamber
of
Commerce
Philadelphia
opportunities,
industrialization
center,
the
City
of
Berkeley
and
the
American
Heart
Association
in
other
health
organizations
that
signed
on
to
its
brief.
C
This
victory
has
been
a
long
time
coming
almost
two
years.
It's
really
been
a
year,
10
months
and
four
days,
but
nobody
was
really
counting,
but
in
all
seriousness,
I'm
thankful
to
the
court
for
its
careful
consideration
of
this
matter
and
I'm
glad
that
we
are
now
at
the
point
where
we
can
move
forward
with
the
programs
that
the
tax
funds
with
full
assurance
from
the
state's
highest
court
that
the
beverage
tax
is
lawful.
So
thank
you.
A
We,
the
issue
of
spending
the
money
fully,
has
always
been
in
case.
We
lost
we'd
have
to
pay
it
back.
So
if
we
rolled
out
the
sixty
five
hundred,
seven
thousand
pre-k
seats
did
the
twenty
four
Community
Schools
started:
borrowing
money
for
recreation,
centers
of
libraries
and
god
forbid.
We
lost
we'd,
have
to
take
it
out
of
the
general
fund
to
pay
it
back.
So
that's
why
it
had
to
sit
and
it
had
to
sit
in
the
general
fund
because
it
can't
legally
sit
anywhere
else.
A
So
so,
and
that
was
you
that
was
used
by
the
beverage
industry
to
kind
of
again
miss
inform
people
that
were
somehow
the
money
was
not
being
used
for
its
state
of
purpose,
but
was
in
the
general
fund.
It
was
in
the
journal
phone
because
we
were
afraid
to
spend
it
fully
in
case
we
had
to
reimburse
it
so
I.
As
far
as
the
specific
numbers,
obvious
robber,
amitin,
yep,
okay,.
A
Now
we're
ready
to
go
yeah,
we
got,
we
got
the.
We
got
the
green
light
from
the
Supreme
Court,
that's
pretty
heavy
will
be
for
next
year.
Yeah
yeah!
Well,
there's
no!
It's
gonna
next
yeah,
but
we'll
still
be
expanding
the
program
and
even
even
though
we
didn't
have
the
positive
ruling
we
did
hit,
we
did
reach
2700,
kids,
so
I'm.
Sorry,
yes,.
A
No
I
don't
know
I
can't
speak
I'm,
not
a
member
of
the
legislature.
I
can't
say
what
effect
this
ruling
will
have
on
them,
but
I
we
have
to.
We
have
to
approach
this
as
if
it's
full.
So
if
they're
going
full
speed
ahead,
things
did
slow
down
a
little
bit
towards
the
end,
and
you
know
the
governor
is
on
record
as
saying
he's
opposed
to
it
also.
A
So
we
think
we
have
enough
safety
valves
to
get
our
way
through
and
having
to
have
it
finally
end,
but
where
this
is
this
is
this
was
the
one
that
I
stayed
up
at
night
and
worried
about
this
was
the
one
that
was
would
have
been.
It
would
have
ended
it
if
it
had
gone
the
other
way
and
I
think
a
42:42
ruling
with
one
recusal
has
a
pretty
strong,
pretty
strong
vote.
Yeah
I'm,
sorry,
good.
A
C
We
don't
have
a
total
number
right
now,
but
that's
easy
to
get
so.
I
can
certainly
send
that
to
you
afterwards
yeah
the,
and
we
can
say
that
the
cap
on
the
album,
your
rate
will
be
in
that
information.
I
can't
recall
it
off
the
top
of
my
head,
but
I'll
give
you
pretty
much
the
entire
breakdown,
the.
A
A
There's
been
nothing
as
of
today,
but
because
they're
still
there
they're
there
statement
was
they
were
moving
full
speed
ahead
with
the
legislative
relief
they
were
looking
for
Harrisburg.
So
apparently
I,
don't
know
what
there's
to
talk
about
at
this
point
you
know
again,
the
frustrating
part
are
the
facts,
and
the
facts
are
that
you
know
two
new
shop
rights
doors
opened
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
A
Recently,
the
in
the
retail
food
sector,
wage
tax
collections
are
up,
business,
tax
collections
are
up
and
most
recent
perusal
of
the
shop
rate
website,
there's
400,
plus
jobs,
open
and
and
people
are
signing
up
to
go
to
work
not
being
laid
off
so
I
mean
I,
understand
there,
I
kind
of
I
see
their
frustration,
I
don't
understand
it,
but
the
facts
of
the
facts
surrounding
that
industry
are
not
negative.
They're
positive.
A
A
A
First,
till
I,
love,
jay-z,
I,
think
he's
I
think
he's
extremely
talented,
he's
very
philanthropic.
We
love
the
concert
and
we
want
to
keep
it.
We
had
there's
some
operational
difficulties
on
the
Parkway
because
of
how
long
it
takes
that
kind
of
setup
and
takedown.
We
were
in
conversations
with
the
people.
We
thought
were
communicating
that
to
rock
nation
and
to
jay-z.
Apparently
they
weren't
the
infant.
A
The
issue
of
being
the
last
year
on
the
Parkway
was
in
the
RFP
that
was
responded
to
and
since
they
responded
to
the
RFP
and
had
no
complaints,
we
thought
that
it
was
okay
to
look.
You
know
look
around
for
some
other
prominent
sites
in
the
city
where
we
could
do
it.
We
are
in
discussions
with
the
right
people
now
and
I'm.
Confident
we
will
work
everything
out.
This
is
this.
Is
we
want
to
keep
the
concert?
A
We
want
to
maintain
a
better
good
relationship
with
with
Roc
Nation
and
we're
going
to
work
hard
to
do
that
and
we're
talking
to
the
right
people
we
weren't,
but
there
are
other
prominent
places
in
the
city
which
we
I'm
not
going
to
back.
You
there's
four
or
five
different
places
that
that
it
could
possibly
go,
but
but
we
are
in
conversation
with
them
now
we're
talking
to
the
right
people
now
more
comfortable,
gonna
work
it
out.
A
Well,
yeah,
but
the
parkway
council
commissioned
a
study
that
came
back
with
this
information.
That
study
was
made
public.
It
talked
about
the
stress
on
the
infrastructure
of
the
Parkway
and
that's
was
kind
of
the
basis
of
where
we
went
with
the
RFP
and
again
when
they
respond
to
the
RFP.
With
that
information
in
it,
the
assumption
was
that
alternate
sites
were
possible
so
we're
we
are
now
again
speaking
to
the
right
people
and
we
will
work
it
out.
A
We
don't
know
yet
we're
again
we're
having
conversations
with
the
right
people
for
the
first
time
since
April.
There's
not
a
signed
contract
yet
and
we're
we,
but
I
will
I
want
to
just
restate
the
value
of
the
concerts
important.
Our
relationship
with
him
is
important
and
we
want
to
make
sure
we
can
work
it
out.
Yes,.
B
A
No
I
think
we're
pretty
good
we're
pretty
good
at
it.
We've
showed
that
we
are,
and
we
just
had
a
recently,
a
good
good
event
on
the
Parkway
with
the
fourth
of
July.
You
know
again,
there's
there's
the
infrastructure
there
and
community
there.
It's.
You
know
it's
it's
difficult,
there's
institutions
that
need
to
be
taken
into
account,
and
but
we
are
now
talking
to
them
directly
and
we
will
hopefully
have
a
good
outcome.
A
A
It
wasn't
intended
there
was
no
intent
to
slate
again
the
suggestion
or
the
or
the
part
of
the
RFP.
That
said,
it
would
be
the
last
week
year
on,
the
Parkway
was
in
the
RFP
and
it
was
responded
to
without
complaint
at
the
time
now.
He
now
he's
aware
of
that
and
he's
upset
and
he's
complained
and
we're
listening
and
we're
going
to
talk.
A
Yeah,
but
they
were
the
only
respondent
to
the
RFP,
but
it
was
in
I.
My
assumption
is
that
the
person
who
reviewed
the
RFP
and
responded
to
it
saw
that
particular
part
of
the
RFP
and
then
would
have
complained
at
that
time,
as
opposed
to
submitting
a
bid.
So
again,
we're
now
talking
the
right
people,
which
is
his
folks
directly,
and
we
have
every
intent
to
working
it
out
and
yes,
okay.
A
Where's,
the
the
RFP
was
sent
out
in
April
right.
When
was
a
respondent
May?
Yes,
so
yeah,
but
that's
look.
I'm
I've
been
in
politics
in
government.
For
you
know
almost
30
years
people
have
called
me
names
before
and
I'm
good
I'm,
I'm.
Fine.
But
again
we
weren't
apparent
Lee
talking
to
people
who
are
communicating
directly
with
them
about
the
pertinent
information
and
that's
why
we
we
wound
up
in
the
situation
that
we're
in
that
we're
going
to
try
to
correct
how
was
Canada
it
was.
It
wasn't
cold,
it
wasn't
cold
I
thought
was
buggy.
A
A
little
cooler
was
kind
of
we.
We
talked
with
some
tech
companies
that
have
a
relationship
Bentley
systems
that
has
headquarters
an
accident,
has
an
office
in
Philadelphia
an
office
in
in
in
Quebec,
and
they
put
together
a
group
of
tech
companies
that
are
interested
in
maybe
expanding
into
this
area.
We
talked
about
training
programs
for
young
people
in
IT
and
in
stem
it's
a
it's.
A
A
beautiful
city
I
got
to
meet
Ari,
meet
Simone,
Gagne
foods
of
great
fires
and
Claire,
terrific,
terrific
young
man
and
his
lovely
wife,
and
had
a
nice
couple
days
and
had
a
stay
an
extra
day
at
night
because
of
the
weather
we
couldn't
get
in
anywhere.
We
tried
to
get
into
a
couple
different
places,
but
everyone
was
shut
down.
So
I
was
on
a
plane
this
morning.
Yes,.