The purpose of this initiative is to improve the health and well being of Multnomah County residents by creating public and private sector jobs for unemployed Multnomah County residents, while reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes in Multnomah County.
The initiative accomplishes the above goal in three ways. First, the initiative creates jobs that promote the public health. Specifically, the initiative will pay for additional physical education teachers, librarians and after school program workers in Multnomah county school districts. Currently, all the school districts in Multnomah County fall short of 
state guidelines for these services. The revenues generated by this program will allow expansion of these services and create jobs for unemployed Multnomah County residents. Preference will be given to unemployed veterans with the goal of minimizing the chance of unemployment for veterans after they have finished their service. Expanded physical education and other programs results in increased exercise by children, reducing childhood obesity and the risk of diabetes from such obesity.
Second, the initiative will stimulate hiring by small businesses, creating new private sector jobs. The initiative directly reduces the cost to small and medium size, mainly local, businesses of hiring people without jobs. Creating such incentives is crucial to reducing the unemployment rate in Multnomah County.
This initiative will improve the business environment for local businesses, encouraging the creation of new job creating businesses in Multnomah County.
Small and medium size businesses are the major source of new jobs. Subsidizing the hiring of people with extended unemployment will help the long term unemployed in particular. Finally, much of the wages received 
by these newly employed Multnomah County residents will be spent at other Multnomah County businesses and stores, creating a multiplier effect of job stimulation in the County. In contrast the minimal decrease in profits for companies manufacturing sugar sweetened beverages come largely from large multinational companies based outside Oregon
Third, this initiative will help reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes in Multnomah County. By slightly increasing the cost of sugar sweetened beverages, the initiative will help reduce the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, particularly by youth. Numerous studies link increased consumption of such beverages to increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Currently, children in the United States get 10-15% of their calories from sugar sweetened beverages which offer little or no nutritional value. An one cent an ounce tax on sugar sweetened beverages will partially offset the wasteful government subsidies of these sugars.The one cent an ounce tax has been estimated to reduce consumption of sodas by children by over 10%. Individuals still can choose freely whatever they want to consume. However, by paying a cent per ounce more for our soda, we will be helping to put our unemployed neighbors back to work.
