that has provided strong data related to the calls. as you noted, approximately $4 million cash at this isn't an -- this is very innovative and creative and i'm looking forward to discussion. we would like to look at the study conducted and we like to look at specific language. >> in terms of that $4 million,

the full cost recovery for your department, $4 million,, how many firefighters can be retained with that cost recovery? >> this is approximately 25. this would not be adding those jobs of making sure that we maintain the level of staffing at the city currently has. >> how many do you have that the station? >> we have 355 on duty for day. they could range from a low of four to a high of 15 depending on the staffing and equipment that is needed at each of the stations.

>> thank you for creighton this legislation. we very much supported the commission in favor of it. we see the tremendous cost, the human cost and financial cost of excessive alcohol use. this is going back to 1986 when i was at the emergency room at san francisco. this is a bag of intravenous fluid from which to put in a multi vitamins which turns it yellow. this is because of the chronic malnutrition occurs to heavy drinkers. at any one time, a third of them are there because of their chronic inebriation, withdrawing from alcohol, while having

delirium drummond's. others have consequences like the disease or gastrointestinal bleeding due to alcohol. if i got a cut deeper understanding on how much those in resources for transporting people were chronically in the british. we have created a group that helps to reduce some of the hospital costs and it has its own costs. i very much want to see those services maintained. i see this as a way of putting the cost of these services more directly, more directly we have costs that are created and this is a way of making sure that these services continue. i am very supportive of this

approach and i appreciate your leadership. >> i appreciate the way that your department has looked at this fee. you have been working on this with the comptroller's office to help us with the numbers. i appreciate your support. the budget analyst, please share your findings. >> of course, our report is based on the numbers without the amendment. i would point out that on page four of our report, based on the $18,126,484 and costs that cannot be reimbursed, we estimate that the city would realize $60.2 million.

this would be 462,000, we note that as shown in table 80 on page 5 of our report, our estimate of just looking at salary and the mandatory benefits, it would be about 8997 must that would have no impact on the legislation. we pointed that out for your consideration. our understanding is that the proposed fee could not be imposed until january 1st so there were the six months. if you look at the revenues of 16.2 million, the city would

receive in 2010, 8,132,000. i emphasize that that is based on the prior fee. we also show on page 7, this is based on what the impact is specifically on a 12 ounce bottle of beer, this would be 5 cents. on a keg of beer, this would be $7.54 and down the line you can look at that table 3 on page 7 to see the specific impact. of course, we consider this to be a policy matter for the board of supervisors. >> think you, mr. rose. we can go on to public comment next. we will have to minister person

for public comment. on we will be continuing this item to next monday so we won't have a vote on it today but it will be voted just to be continued until monday. i lost my glasses out of my pocket, so i'm getting a new pair. and i will not see you as well as i would like to but i can see and read.

i would like to call up if they are here, stephen -- from local firefighters, the san francisco medical society, and jim from the san francisco health commission, the vice-president from walden house. if you hear your name called, please come forward. please come forward for public comment, thank you. >> thank-you, supervisor avalos.

i am here to speak on behalf of this initiative and how we support this alcohol mitigation fee. >> i have been a paramedic in the city for almost 18 years. i have been deeply involved in seeing firsthand the impact of alcohol in the city and how it has worn out our services and the fire department. any fee that would help to offset those costs and recover some of those costs and certainly to keep and support any programs and services to those that most needed it, we certainly support it. a program like this would help to maintain and augment the services of the fire department and the department of public health and this is a benefit to the city.

>> thank you. >> mr. chairman, members of the committee, an executive director of the hunters point foundation for unity improvement, a provider of substance abuse services. i got sober, i stopped killing myself of all, but began to think, and if i can stop doing this, what are the possibilities? i decided maybe it was may be worth the risk. greg ferguson said that the real risk of halt of use -- alcohol disease is having to understand this in relation to your

relationships. this is a risk for the business of businesses often fueled by the consumption of alcohol and its companion, the differing of its unallocated public costs to suggest any action that might inhibit the lubrication that keeps the wheels of business moving. this is a risk in the city where the young adult reigns supreme to suggest that alcohol might be a "companion from which one might seek relief sunday. this is a risk in a city that is still struggling with the effect of self medication without a halt in the lives of its hundreds of homeless people to suggest that the distance between them and us is not so great. this is a risk in a city where being progressive often means the embrace of a freedom of choice to the extreme that it is the responsibility of all of us

to agree to conditions with those less strong than ourselves can be made whole. this is a risk to support a fee that calls to our consciousness the social interconnectedness of it all. not been caught -- i call on you to take this risk and support this measure. it is not our walk down the easy road but in order to understand the possibility that will unite us. >> i'm coming here representing the california alliance for retired americans and the senior action network. it is time that we charge for alcohol. this is the time to reimburse people for the costs incurred for the expenses of law- enforcement, treatment,

rehabilitation, and education. we support the fee increase. we want san francisco to lead the way. i need to tell you that although out of use is harmful at any age, and this is never more harmful than on the elderly. the impact of the entries is much more severe. the risk of harmful interaction is much greater. the general physical affect is more debilitating. for this reduces the quality of life in elderly patients. i asked you to take this mitigation to the board and i hope that it will pass there. we support you. thank you. >> thank you. >> good afternoon. i represent the behavioral

programs. i am a business owner and i of lived in since the scope for more than 30 years. this provides enjoyment to many people. this is also a source of revenue to many businesses. this is a very good idea. this was well researched. i encourage everyone to vote yes. if there's anyone in this room that is not think that san francisco has a problem with excessive drinking, i encourage you to take a walk down market street and count the number of people who appeared to be affected by excessive drinking. i would encourage you to count

the tourists who are mortified by the behavior of some people on market street. they will go back to chicago, ohio, japan, germany, and they will encourage people to come back and spend money. >> i am 19 years old. and i am a youth advocate for the youth council. this is a program at -- the point that i want to make is that we don't think that -- we

don't want this to completely stop alcohol. we also think about how this will affect young people and affect communities who are affected by alcoholism. we think that this ordinance will help to prevent alcohol misuse in the first place. i think it would bring about some change. this was a a lot about us in san francisco. >> thank you. next speaker. >> i am the executive director of the national conference on alcoholism. i serve on the national board of directors and i'm the chairman of our national public policy and advocacy committee.

i am here to say that in mitigation fee would generate the revenue to offset budget cuts to programs that treat alcoholics, enforce drinking related laws and the hospitals that treat those who are drinking. we have experienced serious budget shortfalls and we are predicting more public health related cuts for the next fiscal year. such cuts reduce the ability to increase alcoholism -- to treat increased of gaullism. this is a factor in nearly one- quarter of nearly the emergency room it missions. there are directed the edges to imposing the mitigation fees to offset the cost of drinking in san francisco and no disadvantages. the city spends $2.1 million for prevention.

if $2.1 million raised from this fee and a matching funds were used for prevention, the city will have doubled its efforts. an increase in effective prevention programs will reduce underage drinking as well as the prevalence of alcohol-related problems in the next generations of citizens. we want to make the streets of san francisco safer and prevent fatalities. the positive impact of this mitigation fee on the economy would be significant as a large portion of the burden for paying for the problems will no longer fall on the general fund and this will retain jobs for addiction professionals and the employees will stimulate the economy by increasing consumers

and. >> i am the executive director of the black coalition on aids. i have been a health care provider and a public health official and i am now providing health care services. i of seeing the devastating impact of alcohol and drug abuse in san francisco. when we talk about mitigation, we are talking about the mitigation to the individual and the family and to our community. these dollars are critical and essential to addressing the disparities that occur as a direct result of the consumption and over use of alcohol. when you have negative

consequences that impact the fire, police, and health department, they are impacting individuals, children, families. everyone from the community that i work in recognizes the need for this see. the committee i am working on currently in the south the sector is overburdened by disease, a chafee and aids, and we need the support that this legislation will allow us to receive. the people of san francisco deserve and have a right to health care, this is not a privilege. >> thank you very much. >> hello, supervisors. i am the executive director of the latino commission. i would like to say that since

1991 we have been providing services to those who have used and misused alcohol. our concern is that we are over represented. we probably have half or 44.9 of the cases which are specifically to latinos. we are limited as to the services. i go out to treat those that come in suffering from this disease. if you're talking about job retention, it is and heard that there are services to deal with