A Tax helping the fight against obesity? Well according to a study it may be so. Dr. David Ludwig of Children’s Hospital Boston and Dr. Walter Willet of the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed research conducted in the New England Journal of Medicine that says sugary drinks can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain. The tax would cut consumption by making the products more expensive. The money could be used to fund health programs. The analysis states a 1 cent tax of sugar-sweetened products would yield $14.9 billion in one year. Similar to legislation created for seat belts and smoking, it will not solve the issue entirely but could help slow it down.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick reduced his restitution payments by 50 percent because his income dropped $10,000. His attorney cited Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner’s order in March, forcing Kilpatrick to pay 30 percent of his gross monthly salary as restitution. The order allows his payments to rise or fall with his income. In a September 4th letter to Groner, Schwartz said Kilpatrick was given a $10,000 monthly advance in his first six months. A Wayne County Prosecutor feels he has violated his probation and is seeking a court hearing on it.
Kilpatrick’s former aide Christine Beatty has made no restitution payments since her release from jail in March, a state prison spokesman says she owes $100,000. Her attorney says she has yet to find a job.
