Evaluating Equity Critiques in Food Policy: The Case of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Barnhill ◽  
Katherine F. King
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
New York State ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Unhealthy Eating ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Nutrition Assistance

As concerns about the negative health effects of unhealthy eating and overweight/obesity increase, so too do efforts to combat obesity. Both the federal government, as well as state and local governments, have proposed and implemented a variety of healthy eating and obesity prevention policies. Many of these policies are controversial, facing objections that range from the practical (e.g., the policy will not succeed at improving people's diets) to the ethical (e.g., the policy is paternalistic or inequitable). In this paper, we consider one such policy — restrictions on food assistance programs that are meant to improve participants’ diet — and one criticism of these policies, that they are inequitable. We take as our primary example the recent, unsuccessful effort by New York State to exclude sweetened beverages from the items eligible for purchase in New York City with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps).

How Does a Reduction in Mandated Medicaid Spending Affect Local Fiscal Behaviors? Evidence from New York State

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-547
Author(s):  
Yusun Kim
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
New York State ◽  
Property Tax ◽  
Effective Property ◽  
Medicaid Spending ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Sudden Decrease ◽  
The Impact

In 2005, New York (NY) state capped the growth of county-level Medicaid spending, which abruptly decreased counties’ Medicaid outlay in both relative and absolute terms. This study exploits this discontinuity in county Medicaid outlay to estimate the impact of the relief mandate policy on county budgets and property tax levies. It bridges a gap in the public finance literature by addressing local government responses to a sudden decrease in the outlay of a large mandatory spending category. We find a compositional change but no income effect on non-Medicaid spending. However, the policy reduced the effective property tax rate significantly by 6.6 to 8.1 percent on average among affected NY counties after the enactment of the policy relative to control counties. This study advances our understanding of local fiscal responses to an intergovernmental fiscal policy that changes how state and local governments share the costs of a large public social insurance program.

scholarly journals Strategies to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Mitigate Health Disparities in Minority Populations

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate W. Strully ◽  
Teresa M. Harrison ◽  
Theresa A. Pardo ◽  
Jordan Carleo-Evangelist
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
New York State ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Communities Of Color ◽  
State And Local

Beyond the complex logistical task of prioritizing, distributing and safely storing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines, state and local governments must simultaneously devise and carry out transparent plans that center equity and overcome the barriers to vaccination facing minority communities. Using insights gleaned from four focus groups conducted with health care and social service professionals serving minority communities in New York State as well as from existing research on vaccination, our results emphasize that vaccine hesitancy and access barriers—particularly within minority communities—pose significant hurdles to achieving widespread uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Overcoming barriers requires community-engaged campaigns that acknowledge and address the historical injustices and on-going inequities that drive distrust within communities of color, emphasize understandable and culturally appropriate messages that directly address people's concerns about vaccine safety and access, and tap existing community infrastructure to make full use of trusted voices to deliver timely and accurate information about vaccines. Given emerging data and changing conditions, campaigns must also be self-reflective and adaptive, assessing progress and outcomes and reevaluating strategies as needed. However, above all, primary goals should remain focused on transparency, equity and building trust.

scholarly journals The Impact of Alternative Distribution Formulas on the Allocation of Revenue Sharing Funds in New York State

1974 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-134
Author(s):  
Harry P. Mapp
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
New York State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Public Expenditures ◽  
Dramatic Rise ◽  
Local Government Expenditures ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Impact

Over the past decade, a fundamental transformation has occurred in the attitudes of our citizens regarding the range, quantity and quality of services desired of all levels of government. One result has been a dramatic rise in public expenditures to provide the diverse set of services desired. For example, between 1960 and 1972, expenditures of federal, state and local governments increased from $151.3 billion to $410.3 billion, about 171 percent. Local government expenditures, which were pushed upward by expanding school enrollments and welfare caseloads, maintained their relative importance by growing from $29.0 billion to $75.4 billion, about 169 percent.

Whose money matters in public education: A “public” good that parents purchase

2021 ◽  
pp. 147821032110343
Author(s):  
Eunju Kang
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Public Education ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
New York State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Education Funding ◽  
Funding Policy ◽  
State And Local

Instead of asking whether money matters, this paper questions whose money matters in public education. Previous literature on education funding uses an aggregate expenditure per pupil to measure the relationship between education funding and academic performance. Federalism creates mainly three levels of funding sources: federal, state, and local governments. Examining New York State school districts, most equitably funded across school districts among the 50 states, this paper shows that neither federal nor state funds are positively correlated with graduation rates. Only local revenues for school districts indicate a strong positive impact. Parents’ money matters. This finding contributes to a contentious discourse on education funding policy in the governments, courts, and academia with respect to education funding and inequality in American public schools.

scholarly journals Leviathan or Public Steward? Evidence on Local Government Taxing Behavior from New York State

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin M Aldag ◽  
Mildred E Warner ◽  
Yunji Kim
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Fiscal Federalism ◽  
New York State ◽  
Property Tax ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Fiscal Stress ◽  
York State ◽  
Expenditure Limitations ◽  
Logistic Regressions

Abstract Fiscal federalism argues local governments compete to provide optimal tax-service bundles as responsible public stewards. In contrast, Leviathan theories argue tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) are necessary to make local governments fiscally responsible. We analyze local taxing behavior in New York State, which implemented a levy limit in 2012 that allows legislative overrides with 60 percent vote of the local governing board. Our 2017 survey of all general-purpose local governments measured fiscal stress, service responses, and local political attitudes and found 38 percent of municipalities voted to override. Logistic regressions show local governments that have more fiscal stress, weaker property tax bases, higher need, and higher employee benefit costs are more likely to override. These findings support fiscal federalism, as local governments that override are pushing back against state policy in order to respond to local needs. TELs introduce unnecessary rigidity and run counter to the precepts of fiscal federalism.

scholarly journals Adapting Coordinated Specialty Care in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Study Protocol for an Integrative Mixed-methods Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sapana Patel ◽  
Iruma Bello ◽  
Leopoldo J. Cabassa ◽  
Ilana R. Nossel ◽  
Melanie M. Wall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Service Utilization ◽  
New York State ◽  
Specialty Care ◽  
The State ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Model Adaptation ◽  
York State ◽  
State And Local

Abstract Background: Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) programs provide evidence-based services for young people with a recent onset of a psychotic disorder. OnTrackNY is a nationally recognized model of CSC treatment in New York state. In 2019, OnTrackNY was awarded a hub within the Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET) to advance its learning health care system (LHS). The OnTrackNY network is comprised of 23 CSC teams across New York state. OnTrack Central, an intermediary organization, provides training and implementation support to OnTrackNY teams. OnTrack Central coordinates a centralized data collection protocol for quality improvement and evaluation of program fidelity and a mechanism to support practice based-research. OnTrackNY sites’ breadth coupled with OnTrack Central oversight provides an opportunity to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in New York State. Methods: This project will examine the implications of modifications to service delivery within the OnTrackNY LHS during and after the COVID-19 crisis. We will use the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced (FRAME) to classify systematically, code, and analyze modifications to CSC services and ascertain their impact. We will utilize integrative mixed methods. Qualitative interviews with multi-level stakeholders (program participants, families, providers, team leaders, agency leaders, trainers (OnTrack Central), and decision-makers at the state and local levels) will be used to understand the process making decisions, information about modifications to CSC services, and their impact. Analysis of OnTrackNY program data will facilitate examining trends in team staffing and functioning, and participant service utilization and outcomes. Study findings will be summarized in a CSC Model Adaptation Guide, which will identify modifications as fidelity consistent or not, and their impact on service utilization and care outcomes. Discussion: A CSC Model Adaptation Guide will inform CSC programs, and the state and local mental health authorities to which they are accountable, regarding modifications to CSC services and the impact of these changes on care process, and participant service utilization and outcomes. The guide will also inform the development of tailored technical assistance that CSC programs may need within OnTrackNY, the EPINET network, and CSC programs nationally. Trial Registration: NCT04021719, July 16th, 2019.

TRENDS

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1949 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-531
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
New York State ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
York State ◽  
State And Local

IN KEEPING with the recently adopted policy of reviewing in this column state and local, as well as national, events and trends dealing with the health and welfare of children, it is timely to call attention to action resulting from the Academy's Study in New York State. The following is quoted from an article by Dr. George M. Wheatley under the title of "Study of Child Health Services . . . a challenge to action": "With the completion of the New York State Study, we now have for the first time information for our State as a whole on the total amount, distribution, and character of all health services presently available to children as well as knowledge of the professional training of those who render these services. Now that we have this report with its wealth of significant data, how can we best make use of it? It will serve its primary purpose if it is used at the state level by medical, dental, public health, and welfare authorities for the development of long-range plans as well as for immediate action. Community groups throughout the State can make use of the report to study and compare, and, where indicated, work to improve their own health resources for children. For individual physicians, the study presents a responsibility and a challenge. Many practitioners will recognize similar conditions in their own counties. In private practice, in hospital and clinic affiliations, and because of important position in the community, the physician has the opportunity and the means of making a tremendous contribution to the health of children.

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