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|name=AccessEscambia, Inc.

'''AccessEscambia''' is a non-profit 501(c)4 organization that was established in [[2003]] to implement the recommendations made by the [[Escambia County Health Care Task Force]] on [[October 22]], [[2003]]. The Task Force had been established in 2001 to consider the problems caused by the number of residents in [[Escambia County]] without health insurance, and to make recommendations for providing health care to this population. It is also the name of the political committee that has promoted ballot initiatives to fulfill these recommendations.

==Half-cent health care surtax==In [[2004]], AccessEscambia sought voter approval for a half-cent increase in the sales tax in on the [[November of 20042]] presidential ballot, but the effort failed at the ballot by a margin of 14,000 votes. However, the number of uninsured continued to grow, from approximately 54,000 people (one in six residents) in 2004 to 66,000 (or one of every five residents) by 2007.

In February of 2007, AccessEscambia's board of directors approved an effort to place the measure on another special referendum ballot. An ordinance was approved by the [[Escambia County Commission]] on [[March 26]], [[2007]] and will be decided with , granting a [[June 26]], [[2007]] [[June 2007 sales tax referendum|ballot referendum]]on the condition that AccessEscambia would pay the estimated $200,000 for the cost of the election. The political committee received more than $150,000 in contributions from [[Baptist Health Care]], [[Sacred Heart Health System]] and [[West Florida Healthcare]], expended on promotion and advertisements in a variety of media.

==Tax details==The surtax was defeated in the [[June 26]] election, 22,121 to 11,705. If passed, the program would levy have levied an additional half-cent tax on the first $5,000 of all sales except groceries and medication. The tax would take effect on for ten years, from [[January 12008]], through [[20082018]] and would be collected for ten years, after at which point it would need to be renewed by another have required voter referendumrenewal. The taxes would go in have been used to a Qualified Resident Health Care Trust Fund, which would provide primary health care for up to 30,000 low-income, working residents in [[Escambia County]].

[[Category:Escambia County special electionsPolitical committees]]