Daily Business Report-April 24, 2019
Proposed statewide tax on sugary drinks put on hold. (CALmatters photo)
Soda tax goes flat —
Powerful beverage industry wins
By Dan Morain | CALmatters
At least one of the many new state taxes being proposed for California is a no-go, at least for this year. In a win for the powerful beverage industry, state lawmakers officially kicked the can, yet again, on a statewide tax on sugary drinks.
The 2-cent levyproposed by Santa Monica Democratic Assemblyman Richard Bloom was put on hold until 2020.
Kris Calvin of American Academy of Pediatrics, California, a co-sponsor: “We want to make sure that everybody understands it and buys into it—and that can take a little time.”
Public health care advocates declared legislative war on Big Soda in February with a package of five bills. San Francisco Assemblyman David Chiu’s ban on super-sized soda cups died earlier this month. With Bloom’s bill on ice, three remain:
Oakland Assemblyman Rob Bonta’s bill to ban soda companies from offering discounts to distributors and retailers.
Berkeley Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks’ ban on stores from placing sweet drinks near checkout counters.
Carmel Sen. Bill Monning’s proposal to put a safety warning on soda bottles.
Concerned about a Bay Area wave of local soda taxes, soft drink companies launched a ballot initiative last year that would have made it much harder for municipalities to raise local taxes of any kind. That got Sacramento’s attention. State lawmakers agreed to ban local soda taxes for 13 years and the beverage industry withdrew the measure.
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San Diego ranks 5th in SafeWise’s
ranking of 10 safest cities in America
San Diego ranked No. 5 out of the top 10 safest cities in the nation for 2019, according to a new report by SafeWise, a national research firm.
From the report: “San Diego had a drop in both violent and property crime rates in 2017. Sadly, the city has seen two mass shootings since then, one in 2018 and one in February of this year. Fortunately, no one was killed, but unpredictable incidents like this can make a city feel less safe. Still, those who call this beautiful seaside city home can be reassured that outside of these exceptions, San Diego is making progress to reduce crime and foster a safe community.”
To identify the safest and most dangerous big cities in the country, SafeWise analyzed FBI crime report statistics and population data for 2017 (the most recent year for which data was available). It set a population threshold at 300,000 and higher. Cities that fell below that threshold were excluded, along with cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI.
Cities were ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city.
SafeWise’s 10 Safest Big Cities: Virginia Beach, Va.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Lexington, Ky.; Anaheim, Calif.; San Diego. El Paso, Texas; San Jose, Calif.; Austin, Texas, Mesa, Ariz., Tampa, Fla.
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Illumina, Chinese Children’s Hospital
to launch newborn sequencing study
GenomeWeb
Illumina and the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in China plan to launch a study of whole-genome sequencing in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit to determine whether it can be used as a diagnostic for critically ill infants, Illumina said this week.
According to Illumina, the researchers plan to enroll 200 patients and compare the diagnostic rate of rapid WGS with genetic diagnostic methods such as microarray analysis and gene panel sequencing.
The researchers will also compare the time it takes to reach a diagnosis, impact on the patient’s prognosis, and turnaround time.
Illumina will provide the sequencing reagents and the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University will conduct the testing and data analysis and also be responsible for reporting results and providing genetic consultations with family members.
The hospital is also a sponsor of the Newborn Genome Project, which is creating a genome database for newborns in China in order to develop better methods for detecting genetic diseases in newborns and to establish standards for neonatal genetic diseases.
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Convention Center hosts
May 10 Spring Job Fair
The San Diego Convention Center Corporation is hosting the 2019 Spring Community Job Fair on Friday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center.
Attendees can explore employment opportunities and meet with hiring managers from the San Diego Convention Center Corporation and other local employers.
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San Diego industrial market sees
rare blip amid long, strong growth trend
On the heels of achieving a staggering 2 million square feet (msf) of annual occupancy growth in 2018, San Diego industrial market growth stepped off to a flat start in the first quarter of 2019, reports Cushman & Wakefield. In total, the market reported a minimal loss of less than 18,000 sf countywide, though it is expected for growth to resurge soon ahead. Industrial vacancy was also flat, holding its sturdy position in the mid-5 percent range, despite an ongoing influx of new construction deliveries—a strong and vital source for growth activity the past several years.
Jolanta Campion, Cushman & Wakefield’s research director in San Diego, said, “A slow yearly beginning is not all that uncharacteristic. For example, 2018 also began sluggish but went on to see tremendous industrial growth the rest of the way, even doubling the net levels of each 2017 and 2016. That is not to say 2019 will match last year’s performance, but we fully anticipate a return into growth mode as the year progresses.”
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Maritime Museum to host new
Education Challenge 2019
Maritime Museum of San Diego, home to one of the world’s largest collections of historic vessels from sail to steam to submarine, will host the 1st Annual Oceanography Merit Badge Days Saturdays, July 27, August 3 and 10, 2019. The new event led by Boy Scouts of America certified instructors, invites scouts age 9-18 to enroll and earn their Oceanography Merit Badge through attendance at one of six classes held on three consecutive Saturday’s at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Participants can choose from classes at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Scouts must complete oneclass to earn their Oceanography Merit Badge.
Participants are encouraged to book in advance online at sdmaritime.org and call 619.234.9153 ext. 122 for additional information.
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Building Industry Association
debuts Junior Builder Initiative
The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) announced the creation of an important new program designed to encourage young people to become part of the building industry in the region. The BIASC Junior Builder initiative, the first program of its kind in the region, will provide opportunities for children to gain firsthand experience in several aspects of a business segment that is a key SoCal economic driver.
The centerpiece and debut of the program will be a five-day Junior Builder Camp for kids ages 7-13 set for July 29 through Aug. 2, 2019. A special highlight of the camp will be a home-building competition between four youth-led teams using the online design program Welcome to Bloxburg by Roblox. The camp will also feature home site and construction site tours, plus other activities aimed at building leadership skills, self-confidence and knowledge about the use technology in home building. Each attendee will also receive a certificate of completion for the camp.
To register for the Junior Builder kick-off event and for information on sponsorship opportunities, visit www.biasc.org/events/junior-builder-camp-special-kick-off-event-1. To register for Junior Builder Camp, go to www.biasc.org/events/junior-builder-camp.
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California’s war on plastic pollution
targets tiny hotel toiletries
By Elizabeth Castillo | CALmatters
Sarah Enemark of Contra Costa County says she doesn’t travel often, but when she does, she typically forgets to bring her own toiletries. So on a recent weekend, chatting outside the bustling lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento, she sang the praises of those tiny hotel room amenities that so many travelers take for granted.
“It’s nice that the hotels care enough about me to give me shampoo, conditioner and body lotion,” she said.
Those little extras, however, have become the next target in California’s effort to cut down on single-use plastic products. A bill working its way through the state Legislature would force hotels across California to rid rooms of the miniature toiletries.
Assembly Bill 1162 would ban hotels, resorts and other vacation rentals from doling out shampoos, creams and other amenities in small plastic bottles by January 1, 2023. Rentals would have to replace the sample-sized products with dispensers or bottles larger than 12 ounces.
“We are addicted to plastic as a society,” said Democratic Asssemblyman Ash Kalra of San Jose, the bill’s author. “I do hope my colleagues view this as a common sense piece of legislation that once again puts us forward as leaders when it comes to trying to reduce our plastic consumption and leaders on issues of the environment.”
Kalra said he recently stayed at a hotel in San Francisco that used larger bottles instead of small personal plastic bottles. Guests at the hotel could also purchase the luxury bath products in the lobby, he said.
Some critics have seized on the shampoo bill as yet another example of California-style nanny-state meddling.
