Rebuild Vote
Discussion Notes
REBUILD VOTE
Problems of the soda tax
Confusing at best
What was the use for it?
Pandemic highlighted problems in the schools
Usage of soda tax money
Rebuild, preK and parks and rec
What worked
Clear messaging of the campaign
Politics and mutual agenda alignment
Grassroots organizations and advocacy
Coalition building
Philadelphians for a fair future
MDO and Chief of Staff working togethe
What didn’t
Villainization of food service employees
Not staying consistent with messaging
Lower income communities facing the most of the taxes
Lack of communication about use of funds from the tax
Education of soda tax money
Lack of shared community values
Lack of advocacy
Moving forward
SWOT analysis
Change buy-in with the community
Get advocates back on the table
Who’s taking responsibility to move things forward?
Who’s the group, who’s the advocate?
Better clarity of the messaging, what worked in the past, what didn’t
Systemic let downs of BIPOC communities
Honest post analysis of what’s happened!
Sugar-sweetened beverage tax (SSB Tax) (soda tax)
suspicion and distrust
Soda tax was implemented in large part to refund Rebuild
Contentious and confusion
Misleading b/c no $ went to the schools
SSB Tax initial plan
Rebuild
Pre-K
Schools
Rebuild Vote
What was important to the success of Rebuild?
City Council changed the vision that Mayor Kenney & Mike D had
Reauthorization
Advocacy + Reliance on the insiders @ City Hall
Accountability
$300 million
City Council wants more control
Equity lens and accountability needed
Success? Challenges? Community Engagement & Public Support? How was equity addressed?
1st Budget, Mayor Kenney: proposed Rebuild
Huge advertising campaign – messaging about what the $ would be used for
Counter-advertising: McDonald’s, etc.
The politics were right (an open policy window)
Timing
Aligned agendas among politicians
Allyship breakdowns among politicians
Spotlight on the schools’ failures
Grassroots frustration (the right people were on the frontline)
The data + the message = success
Three constituency groups working together
Consistent, value-aligned messaging*
Managing Director (data) & Chief of Staff (advocacy)
The messaging victimized the wrong people
Fast food workers yelled at b/c of the surcharge (Oct. 2016)
Impossible to get total buy-in (low socioeconomic status bearing the most cost)
Double-edged sword: the tax felt forced
They did not remain true to messaging
Said one thing; did another thing
No results were seen; not all got done
“Rebuild was the sole bill” when all was said & done
Hidden tax
Anti-messaging is consistent; Rebuild messaging is not as upfront (i.e., showing the good work that is being done as a result of the SSB Tax)
The opportunity was blown to have the advocates explain to the community what the SSB tax was for/designed to do
Lack of transparency
The groups who do private schools/private clubs were anti-SBB/anti-Rebuild
Lack of shared community values
The game changed once the vote happened (misinfo.)
Organization & advocacy failed
Pandemic caused redirection of $ -- contrary to what was originally intended
Gov’t is systemically letting people down (black & brown people)
Equity
Need for best-practices – messaging should educate
SWAT analysis plus far-reaching impact to the community so that people are informed
Prompt community buy-in by showing the tangible results
Knowing about the players (Rebuild, Parks & Rec, City officials, etc.)
Ensure people at the table feel valued
Trust
Report Out
More $ needed
Parks and Rec was the first dept. to be cut (1970s) & the last to be restored (budget increase 2022)
Group 2: Rebuild
Problems with the soda tax
Confusing
Communities were watching to see what the soda tax would be used for
Pandemic exacerbated
Clear messaging in the beginning
Who is taking responsibility?
Agencies not working together, advocates removed from the table
Systematic letdown of the black community
Black communities couldn’t afford the soda tax
Need for a review of rebuild