News (blog)

Take a moment today to give yourself a high-five for all of your hard work over the past year.  View our e-card, and pass it on.  Public servants can never be thanked enough -we thank you.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years -- and today, more preschoolers ages 2-5 are overweight or obese.  Experts blame inactivity, but more so diet.  High-sugar, high-fat diets have been shown to have more to do with the rise in obesity than lack of physical activity.

 

The introduction of chocolate toddler formula seems a slap in the face of parents, pediatricians and others who are working to curb the obesity epidemic in our communities.  Unsafe and unhealthy children’s products need to be addressed, and corporations held accountable for their contributing role in our country’s crisis of childhood obesity.

Last Friday, the WSPHA Board of Directors took positions on a number of ballot measures to protect public health - important signals to WSPHA members and other public health proponents about the significance of these ballot measures and of this Fall's election.  These positions were added to positions taken at the June Board meeting to oppose Initiative 1107 and support Initiative 1098.

Check out the many initiatives and referenda and WSPHA's positions to support public health needs.  Pass the word on these initiatives as people begin to fill out their absentee ballots in the Fall.

Initiative 1107:  WSPHA worked hard in 2010 to ensure that legislators understood that imposing taxes on unhealthy products such as soda and other sugary drinks, tobacco, and candy can help to influence behavior, and can also pay for programs to educate the public about their impacts.  This Initiative would repeal several taxes imposed by the legislature that helped to make up the several billion dollar budget shortfall (and keep public health budgets from being decimated).  WSPHA opposes.

Initiative 1098:  An income tax on the top 3% of taxpayers in Washington to support health and education programs -- This is the only initiative that would generate revenue dedicated to health care services. I-1098 establishes an income tax only on the top three percent of taxpayers - couples making more than $400,000 per year ($200,000 for individuals). The current heavy reliance on the sales tax is regressive, meaning that the lower your income is, the greater proportion of your income goes to taxes.  I-1098 results in more fair taxation.  The revenue generated also results in a lower business and occupation tax and lower property taxes - benefiting everyone.   Most importantly, this revenue is dedicated to vital health programs such as the Basic Health Program, public health, and long-term care services.  Some of the revenue will also go to support K-12 education, extended learning opportunities, pre-kindergarten programs, and expanded access to higher education.  WSPHA supports

Referendum 52:  Would allow the state to sell bonds to fund energy-saving retrofits to schools. Removing mold and asbestos would provide school children with healthier, safer learning environments.  WSPHA supports.

Initiative 1053:  Requires 67% approval vote of the legislature to raise taxes and create new taxes -- This initiative, backed by major oil companies such as BP and written by Tim Eyman, would require a two-thirds vote of the legislature either raise revenue sources or create new ones.  Tim Eyman developed an earlier version of I-1053, Initiative 960 passed two years ago.  No one understood the negative impacts of I-960 until now.  If the Washington State had not suspended I-960 last year, new revenue sources to support Basic Health Plan, Maternity Support Services, and other health and human services programs would not have been realized, eliminating those programs all together and negatively impacting thousands of families. The legislature would not be able to suspend I-1053 until two years after its passage.  The state is already facing a $3 billion dollar shortfall in revenue heading into 2011, and faces cutting health and human services programs again.  WSPHA opposes.

Initiative 1082:   Privatizing Worker’s Compensation -- Worker’s compensation is a no-fault insurance program that pays medical costs and partially reimburses the lost wages of workers who suffer job-related injuries or illnesses. WA’s system is currently state-run, providing coverage for more than 99% of the businesses in WA. Washington has the third-lowest premiums per worker of any state. Washington was in the lowest 25% of states in terms of costs.  Privatizing worker’s compensation runs the risk of escalating premiums to consumers and decreasing access to prompt and appropriate care for injured workers. WSPHA opposes.

Initiatives 1100 and 1105:  Privatizing liquor sales in Washington -- Currently, only the state of Washington can sell hard liquor through state run retail outlets.  State-run stores are an important part of liquor regulation.  Washington has one of the highest compliance rates in keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors:  a 94% no-sale-to-minors compliance rate compared to 76-84% in the private sector.  State-run stores bring in about $850 million in revenues.  Some of these funds support local prevention programs, law enforcement, health care coverage, and health benefits for children and pregnant women.  WSPHA opposes.

 WSPHA is hiring!  Please pass along this post to good candidates.  We need your help to get the word out.

JOB DESCRIPTION

HALF-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM ASSISTANT

WASHINGTON STATE PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION

Description:  This position supports a part-time Executive Director, part-time coordinator of our Joint Conference on Health, all membership and program services, and volunteer Board of Directors and Committees.   While the position is highly administrative, there will be opportunities for program support and program development over time. 

We are looking for a detail-oriented, fast-paced and creative individual who understands and loves start-ups and nonprofit cultures, and is flexible shifting between programs and tasks and working both remotely and in-office with volunteers and other staff.

Essential administrative duties include: 

• Member customer support
• Interface with vendors, suppliers and customers
• Development and maintenance of office systems
• Calendaring and other support to Executive Director
• Development and maintenance of online database and member management systems
• Website and Facebook content development
• Management of GotoMeeting and GotoWebinar functions
• Processing checks, purchase orders and mail and interface with organization bookkeeper
• Invoicing and collection of accounts receivable
• Meeting scheduling, logistics and minutes
• Membership renewals & other mailings
• Event mailings & other logistics
• Website maintenance

Essential program duties include:

• Development and support of special projects, such as National Public Health Week activities, WSPHA special events, lobby day and fundraisers
• Monitoring of public health websites/newsletters
• WSPHA newsletter solicitations & article writing
• Attendance at events & meetings on behalf of Executive Director
• Program support to Joint Conference on Health subcommittees & sponsorship & exhibitorship development
• Preliminary research on public health topics
• Design of web-based and in-person membership events
• Assist in development of new program areas, particularly supporting WSPHA membership and advocacy campaigns

Required Qualifications:

·        Minimum of 2 years experience in administrative capacity with nonprofit or small start-up organization or small government agency or department, preferably a membership-based organization

·        AA degree or equivalent work experience

·        Experience supporting Executive staff of government agency or nonprofit organization, including development and implementation of office management systems

·        Strong written and verbal communications skills

·        Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office, Adobe, Citrix (GotoMeeting, GotoWebinar), Constant Contact, Facebook

·        Demonstrated proficiency in website maintenance and online database management (HTML not necessary)

·        Demonstrated proficiency in managing A/P and A/R

·        Demonstrated proficiency in supporting a volunteer Board of Directors and Committees

·        Successful experience as customer liaison, and support to membership, including development and implementation of strategies to grow membership

Desired Qualifications:  

□       Bachelors Degree in nonprofit administration, or related field

□       Work or equivalent experience in public health

□       Grassroots organizing expertise

□       Experience planning and implementing website functionality

□       Knowledge of statewide public health system, funding and policy issues

□       Demonstrated successful grantwriting experience

□       Demonstrated experience with online advocacy software

Salary:    $25,000 - $27,000 DOE.  No benefits are included with this position.

Check out this recent report, released by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, intended to help public health and community leaders, policy-makers, consumers and others to see how healthy their county is, compare it with others within their state and find ways to improve the health of their community.

While we were fortunate not to experience significant state-level cuts to local public health budgets in 2010 in our supplemental budget cycle, our state, like many other states, still faces significant under-investment in public health functions.  A report released this past March by Trust for America's Health shows the extent of the impacts of Federal and state cuts.  http://healthyamericans.org/report/74/federal-spending-2010

Public health experts and anyone who cares about public health should stand up and be counted, which is part of our job when we educate legislators and other policy makers.  You can be added to our advocacy list by updating your profile on our website to include your home email address if you work in government, and forwarding this to colleagues and friends. 

WSPHA supports a flexible and predictable revenue source for local public health districts.  We also support progressive policies, driven in part by our members' resolutions.  Join today to help influence our agenda setting process.

The legislature is considering how to balance the state budget with a huge budget shortfall, as we all know.  So far, a number of different tax options are in the mix - but one that is not yet (other than in the Governor's proposed budget) is a tax on sugary drinks. 

Here is an opinion editorial from today's Seattle Times coauthored by three public health doctors, including the Director of Seattle King County Public Health.  Make sure to comment on the article - let readers know that you care whether we prevent obesity and fund core programs at the same time, including public health programs.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011269127_guest06fleming.html

Our Washington budget situation is very complex.  With a deficit of over $1 billion this year, public health and healthcare programs are clearly at risk.  Between the proposed Governor's, House and Senate budgets, millions of dollars are cut from tobacco prevention, HIV/AIDS and dental programs.  Opportunities to raise revenue are there - the legislature needs to have courage to act.

Please take action today.  Today and Monday, March 1 are big days for the legislature to consider how they are going to fund these important budgets, and what they are going to cut.  They need to hear from all of us to preserve these services and jobs.