Feb. 8 - Oakland Advances Litter Tax on Fast Food Outlets

Vice Mayor Jane Brunner of Oakland made headlines this month with her Excess Litter Fee, requiring city convenience stores and liquor markets, gas stations and fast-food restaurants to pay by a tiered fee system for litter clean-up.  The fee would raise $237,000 annually, and over 75% of the businesses affected would pay $230 year - the equivalent of 63 cents a day, less than the cost of a candy bar.  The city council is still reviewing the bill.