Did you know that on this very day in 1800 the U.S. Senate of the Sixth Congress met for the first time in the Capitol Building? Work on the Capitol had begun seven years earlier, but facing funding shortfalls, it was decided in 1796 that only the Senate wing would be constructed.  There’s no doubt that a lot has happened in the 211 years since – but this historical landmark, and what goes on inside its walls, remains vitally important to our country.  And if you’ve never had a chance to watch Congress in session, we encourage you to do so during your next visit to the District of Columbia.

The issue is getting more attention lately.  Yesterday, the Heritage Foundation posted a column on their website about the attack ads in an article titled “Obama Administration Uses Stimulus Money to Support Ads Attacking Soda.” An excerpt from the column reads as follows:

“The 2009 economic stimulus, of course, was sold to Congress as a $787 billion package to revive the economy by creating or saving millions of jobs. And while some of the money for these anti-obesity efforts could arguably create temporary jobs — such as construction of a bike path or walking trail — there’s growing concern about the use of the money for advertisements.”

And recently others, including Members of Congress, have picked up on the issue, too.

Last week, we read an Op-Ed by U.S. Representative Dr. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn) that ran in The Chattanoogan (“Why the Rush to Waste Taxpayer Dollars”).  We blogged about this a few days ago, but if you still haven’t had a moment to read the piece, check it out by clicking here.

For more information on the stimulus funded anti-soda ad campaigns check in with Smart Taxpayers Exposing Waste (STEW) on Facebook and Twitter.  And remember to keep checking in with us here at Sip & Savor for the latest beverage industry news.

• Studying the impact of integral yoga on hot flashes in menopausal women;
• Studying condom use skills in adult males;
• Studying whether video games improve mental health for the elderly; and…
• Examining the potential impact of a soda tax on population health

We applaud Rep. Issa for offering some common sense into the debate – and we’re anxious to see where his amendments pan out.  If nothing else, his amendments are drawing attention to blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars.

With the passage of initiative 1107 in a challenging political environment, the people of Washington have given a clear rebuke to discriminatory and unfair taxes. They don’t want lawmakers reaching into their grocery carts with new taxes to pay for more government spending.

We’re seeing this across the country.  People believe government is getting too involved in their personal lives. And they know they can decide for themselves what to buy without government help. They don’t want government telling them what to eat or drink by taxing grocery items – and they really don’t want that to happen when the tax is just going to pay for more government spending.  And, Washington voters are proving no different.

States are facing budget challenges because they’ve spent beyond their means and voters recognize that. They want to see government trim its budget fat and stop nickel and diming them with more taxes for this, that and the other thing. It adds up to real money that people just can’t afford in this economy and are unwilling to pay.

When we all woke up yesterday morning ready to embrace the most important day in the midterm election cycle, there were 37 Senate seats up for grabs, as well as all 435 House seats. These races were critical as they would impact what party would keep – or gain – control of each Chamber, and potentially, Congress. In addition, out of 50 states, 37 had governors’ races in play. Pundits were up late into the night commenting on all of the goings-on. Rather than provide our own play-by-play of the evening, we thought we’d take the opportunity today to share some election-related coverage from several media outlets:

• CNN has an interactive map where you can view all election results by state;
• Politico provides an in-depth review of the congressional races, as well a video wrap-up and footage of some key victory speeches;
• The Washington Post also takes a look ahead to 2012; and
• FOXNews.com provides an assessment of the gubernatorial races.

Of course there’s plenty more coverage out there and it will surely continue throughout the rest of the day and beyond. And if you’re anything like us here inside the Beltway at Sip & Savor, there’s no such thing as too much information when it comes to politics and government. Happy reading!

No matter the snapshot mood of the nation, there is something very constant and special about standing in line at an elementary school, church, recreational center or other venue on a brisk autumn day.  Besides making your voice heard at the ballot box, you also can re-connect with your community.   These Election Day lines come with the time-honored tradition of social networking – of the verbal kind.

And if you’re still on the fence about what candidates or ballot measures to vote for or against, there are still several easy ways to find information about candidate positions and issues, as well as polling places.  Check in with your state and local government and Board of Elections websites, local  online newspaper and TV websites, cable news websites that allow you to input your zip code and, of course, the League of Women Voters.

We at Sip & Savor hope that you will exercise your right to vote and remain engaged as the vital issues that were debated this fall play out in Congress, statehouses and city halls around the country in the year to come.

So, it’s none too early to finalize your game plan for voting in person.  And that is where the Internet has made it easier than ever before to study the candidates and the issues, find your polling place, review the ballot, note polling hours and, at day’s end, track the results.

Voter turnout traditionally has been lower for mid-term elections — hovering around 37 percent in recent years – than for presidential election years.  Yet, the stakes are formidable.   All 435 U.S. House of Representative seats, 37 U.S. Senate seats and 37 gubernatorial contests are on the ballot.  Factor in state and local races and issues and the stakes are even higher.

For those of you who are looking for more information, there are multiple ways of finding it:  your state and local government and Board of Elections websites, your local  online newspaper and TV websites, cable news websites that allow you to input your zip code and, of course, the League of Women Voters.

We at Sip & Savor salute those who participated in early voting and those who will make time on Tuesday to go the polls.  And as the results come in Tuesday evening, you can use your laptop, your HDTV, your e-reader and your apps to join the professional political gurus in assessing the outcome.

We at Sip & Savor would like to take this time to remind our readers of the importance of voting.  It’s both a right and responsibility of all citizens of this country to make their voices heard.  So be sure to get out there and cast your ballot.

For those that are not yet registered to vote, head to Rock The Vote for forms, Voter Help Desk and other important campaign updates…and outcomes, too!

In doing some research on the topic, it appears that there seems to be much confusion as to the origins of this national observance. Admittedly, we are not the expert on this topic. However, here’s what we came up with…
This federal holiday officially began as Washington’s Birthday – in observance of the February 22 birthday of our first president, George Washington. Our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, also was born in February, on the 12th to be exact, which led to yet another legal holiday observed in some states.

With the birthdays of two of our country’s great presidents observed within days of each other, it became common practice in some states to celebrate them together – that is what we know as Presidents Day. Interestingly, a federal law that specifies holidays for federal employees (5 U.S.C. 6103) established the third Monday in February as Washington’s Birthday; however, other institutions, such as state and local governments and private businesses, may refer to the holiday as Presidents Day – or even President’s Day. And in some states, the observance is in honor of all of our nation’s great presidential leaders.

Whatever you may observe, we hope that you take some time to reflect on the great accomplishments of our first and sixteenth presidents – as well as the other 42. To learn more about the 44 United States presidents, you can check out the White House Web site.

Thus, it was a welcome next step that Mrs. Obama addressed the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Wednesday and challenged our nation’s mayors to help in the battle against childhood obesity. Calling it “one of the biggest threats to the American economy,” Mrs. Obama spoke to the current childhood obesity challenge and what mayors can do on-the-ground in their local communities to engage their citizens to live healthier lives. In fact, she pointed out some stellar examples from across the country. The First Lady acknowledged that childhood obesity will not be solved in one year, nor in one Administration. But we agree with her: it can be solved. And it must take a pragmatic, unified approach from all sectors of society.

The beverage industry has been – and continues to be – engaged in doing its part to help reduce childhood obesity. In fact, our member companies recognize that eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise are the keys to living a balanced lifestyle. And this is something that our industry supports and encourages by helping consumers make appropriate choices by providing easy access to calorie and nutrition information and promoting physical activity.

And when it comes to our nation’s schoolchildren, our industry has been the industry leader on health and wellness. Recognizing that schools are unique environments that play a meaningful role in shaping our children’s health, in 2006 the beverage industry developed School Beverage Guidelines that remove full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and provide for more lower-calorie, nutritious, smaller-portion beverage choices. It’s all part of a broader effort to teach children the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. And we’re delivering results. After just two years of a three-year implementation period, we’ve already reduced beverage calories shipped to schools by 58 percent – and shipments of full-calorie soft drinks are down by 65 percent. Our final report on implementation, which will be available in the coming months, will further demonstrate this transition. This has been no easy feat for our industry, but it demonstrates our commitment to America’s youth – for today and for generations to come – in changing the school beverage landscape.

So Sip & Savor, and the beverage industry at-large, applauds the First Lady in shining a spotlight on this issue and calling for common sense solutions that will actually make a difference. Mrs. Obama can rest assured that our industry is one that will continue to step up to the plate and do our part to address the complex issue of childhood obesity.