No Kidding! Children's Alliance Blog

Media Digest 3-11-2010

MariaM — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:14:51 -0500


In this edition, you'll find articles comparing state budget and revenue solutions as lawmakers head toward a possible special session. You'll also read about an upcoming national campaign to raise parents' awareness of the well-researched benefits of early learning and a blog post on the nationwide call to Congress to preserve access to nutritious food for the nearly 1 in 4 children who faced hunger this past year. read more

Media Digest 3-9-2010

MariaM — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:47:00 -0500

In this edition, you'll find an op-ed co-authored by Dr. Benjamin Danielson, Children's Alliance board vice president, making the case for improving children's health by taxing candy and soda. You'll also read a feature about Marcelas Owens, a child health care advocate and participant in the Children's Alliance's 2010 Have a Heart for Kid's Day, who is on his way to Washington, D.C., to honor his late mother's memory by urging lawmakers to provide everyone what his mother lacked: access to health care. read more

A victory for infants and toddlers

LizG — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:59:06 -0500

The Children’s Alliance and other Early Learning Action Alliance members are celebrating a hard-earned victory today.

The Legislature has passed a bill that takes a step toward making early learning for infants and toddlers a top priority as our state builds and strengthens pre-kindergarten.

‘Please, tax my candy, tax my soda … whatever it takes’

LizG — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:34:55 -0500

In this minute-long audio slideshow aimed at our state’s lawmakers, Seattle high schooler Daniel Perlmutter makes a common-sense plea for taxing candy and soda to pay for kids' health care. It’s simple, he says.

“Candy … it’s fun, but it’s not food. Yet our tax laws treat candy like bananas, bread and milk. That’s preposterous!”

Taxing sugary snacks, drinks would be good for children's health

LizG — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:29:28 -0500

Candy is not food. So Washington’s tax law shouldn’t treat it like it is. Soda is loaded with calories and has zero nutritional value. A penny-per-ounce tax could raise substantial revenues to protect vital medical and dental care programs for children and families across our state.