Bloomberg's Soda Ban

[AUChizad]

Surprised this hasn't been brought up yet:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/31/MNIE1OQUQ6.DTL

New York --

Want to super-size that soda? Sorry, but in New York City you could be out of luck.

In his latest effort to fight obesity in this era of Big Gulps and triple bacon cheeseburgers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing an unprecedented ban on large servings of soda and other sugary drinks at restaurants, delis, sports arenas and movie theaters.

Drinks would be limited to 16 ounces, which is considered a small serving at many fast-food joints.

It is the first time an American city has directly attempted to limit soda portion sizes, and the soft-drink industry and others bitterly accused the three-term mayor of creating a "nanny state" and robbing New Yorkers of the right to decide for themselves.

"The people of New York City are much smarter than the New York City Health Department believes," Coca-Cola Co. said in a statement. "New Yorkers ... can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase."

The ban is expected to win approval from the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health and take effect next year. City officials said the proposal would prove popular and push governments around the nation to adopt similar rules.

City officials said calorie-heavy drinks such as Starbucks Frappuccinos likely would be exempted for their dairy content. Drinks at 7-Eleven wouldn't be affected because the stores are regulated as groceries.

Bloomberg said people who want to guzzle soda would be free to order more than one drink. But he said restricting servings could curb consumption.

"You tend to eat all of the food in the container. If it's bigger, you eat more. If somebody put a smaller glass or plate or bowl in front of you, you would eat less," he said.

For the record, this is possibly the most asinine piece of legislation I have ever heard of.

Even worse than similar laws in Alabama for alcoholic beverages. And that's saying a lot.

[Tarheel]

Surprised this hasn't been brought up yet:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/31/MNIE1OQUQ6.DTL

For the record, this is possibly the most asinine piece of legislation I have ever heard of.

Even worse than similar laws in Alabama for alcoholic beverages. And that's saying a lot.

There was a great deal of ranting and raving going on about this over the weekend; I almost recall a mini-rant about this when GarMan, Sani, and Godfather were around but I'd had too many 12oz. adult beverages at the time.  Ayatollah Bloomberg, in the height of irony, took time out of "Doughnut Day" celebrations to talk about his new ordinance (yes, kids, I did say that he was celebrating Doughnut Day even as he was enacting this ordinance...or trying to anyway).  By the way, milkshakes are exempt from this ban because they are considered dairy products.  So, if you're tired of drinking 16 oz. cokes and you can't get a Venti double latte then go to DQ...I'm sure they can set you up with a 40 oz. double chocolate milkshake...with whipped cream, a cherry, and a domed top!

And another thing...you people (yes, I said you people) were warned about Statist actions like this years ago but you weren't listening; you weren't listening when cigar smokers like myself sounded the alarm when Nanny Bloomberg enacted the citywide smoking ban which spread like wildfire across the country.  I can hear you whiny-ass, beta-male, cigar haters now (ewww...the smoke! :cough: :cough:...gross! ).  We all said that if you support the Statists in doing this they'll come after something that you like next time...but no one listened.  Now everyone is up in arms about this soda ban.  Well.  We told you.  Next they'll tell you how much salt you can have on your food (oh, yes, Nanny Bloomberg has done that already and I'm sure once Obama-care kicks in it'll affect us too...there will have to be a black market for salt!) or whether you can eat red meat or have a Conecah snausage or use your grill to cook it (OMG, the carbon! It's killing Mother Gaia!).

We told you.

 

[GH2001]

The double edged sword here is that obesity is getting to the point now where it is a public concern. Its not just a Live and Let Die situation anymore. People that get THAT obese and unhealthy will become a drain on society. They will cost society money. The old saying that people should be able to do what they want as long as they are not hurting anyone? Well, it's getting to the point now where they are going to hurt others via taxpayer dime for their "condition" whether it be heart disease, kidney failure, HBP, diabetes. These people probably won't have adequate insurance or money to pay for their medical care. If they do have insurance, they won't for long with a chronic condition. I'm just getting to the point now where I think fattys with weight related medical conditions should be cutoff from any taxpayer related subsidies. I'm sick of state governments picking up the tab for someone to live a life of slothfulness. Even the ones WITH insurance, these are the kind of negligent fucks that make other's rates go UP. 

End rant.   

The whole situation just saddens me. There is no easy answer or solution. The problem with this legislation is that it will not do what they intend for it to do which is cut down on Obesity. Someone will just buy multiple helpings of a smaller size. Wanna cut down on self inflicted illnesses? Let people know that they are on their own when the metal hits the meat.

[Tarheel]

The double edged sword here is that obesity is getting to the point now where it is a public concern. Its not just a Live and Let Die situation anymore. People that get THAT obese and unhealthy will become a drain on society. They will cost society money. The old saying that people should be able to do what they want as long as they are not hurting anyone? Well, it's getting to the point now where they are going to hurt others via taxpayer dime for their "condition" whether it be heart disease, kidney failure, HBP, diabetes. These people probably won't have adequate insurance or money to pay for their medical care. If they do have insurance, they won't for long with a chronic condition. I'm just getting to the point now where I think fattys with weight related medical conditions should be cutoff from any taxpayer related subsidies. I'm sick of state governments picking up the tab for someone to live a life of slothfulness. Even the ones WITH insurance, these are the kind of negligent fucks that make other's rates go UP. 

End rant.   

The whole situation just saddens me. There is no easy answer or solution. The problem with this legislation is that it will not do what they intend for it to do which is cut down on Obesity. Someone will just buy multiple helpings of a smaller size. Wanna cut down on self inflicted illnesses? Let people know that they are on their own when the metal hits the meat.

Obama-care will solve this entire situation.  They'll tell us what we can eat and when we can eat it.

Your comment (highlighted above) reminded me of a recent episode of "'Veep'" on HBO where the VP goes on a rant about obesity saying, in part, to her aide "...you know, it's not hard...you just have to shut your fucking pie-hole!  Put down the fucking corn-dog and get moving!  It's as easy as that!"

[Townhallsavoy]

The government can't solve these kind of problems.  Obesity is not an epidemic caused by poor government leadership.  Outlawing 40oz sodas isn't what obese people need.  There's a deeper issue most likely caused by a lack of education (another government fix). 

The type of people that become morbidly obese have an addiction problem.  Make it impossible for them to satisfy their addiction with food?  They'll find something else. 

[GH2001]

The government can't solve these kind of problems.  Obesity is not an epidemic caused by poor government leadership.  Outlawing 40oz sodas isn't what obese people need.  There's a deeper issue most likely caused by a lack of education (another government fix). 

The type of people that become morbidly obese have an addiction problem.  Make it impossible for them to satisfy their addiction with food?  They'll find something else.

The solution, as harsh as it may sound, is survival of the fittest. People wanna wreck their bodies for the majority of their lives? Buh bye. No sense in draining the system to prolong their life so that they can continue their bad habits. Sorry, but this is the only thing that will wake people up. As long as people know there is a magic pill or a safety net, etc - they will continue to do it. Let people who self inflict illnesses fend for themselves. They need to know that their will be a dire consequence to their actions.

[Townhallsavoy]

The solution, as harsh as it may sound, is survival of the fittest. People wanna wreck their bodies for the majority of their lives? Buh bye. No sense in draining the system to prolong their life so that they can continue their bad habits. Sorry, but this is the only thing that will wake people up. As long as people know there is a magic pill or a safety net, etc - they will continue to do it. Let people who self inflict illnesses fend for themselves. They need to know that their will be a dire consequence to their actions.

Harsh, stringent, cruel.  I like it. 

[AUTailgatingRules]

I've got one easy solution to some of the obesity problem.  NO MORE FREE HOVEROUNDS.

Make the fat asses walk around their own house and expend some calories

[AUJarhead]

I've got one easy solution to some of the obesity problem.  NO MORE FREE HOVEROUNDS.

Make the fat asses walk around their own house and expend some calories

My idea takes it a step further.

We have three problems in this country:
1) We are overweight
2) We have an energy problem
3) We have half the country taking money for the government for nothing.

My solution.

Have a fuckton of treadmills, and hook them up to batteries.  If you are on any sort of government assistance, and are able bodied, you are obligated to 40 hours a week of walking on the treadmill.

Batteries will supply additional power without coal/oil/etc.  People will burn calories walking.  It's win/win.

[Saniflush]

My idea takes it a step further.

We have three problems in this country:
1) We are overweight
2) We have an energy problem
3) We have half the country taking money for the government for nothing.

My solution.

Have a fuckton of treadmills, and hook them up to batteries.  If you are on any sort of government assistance, and are able bodied, you are obligated to 40 hours a week of walking on the treadmill.

Batteries will supply additional power without coal/oil/etc.  People will burn calories walking.  It's win/win.

I like it. 
You shall be my secretary of energy when I am made benevolent dictator.

[RWS]

The solution, as harsh as it may sound, is survival of the fittest. People wanna wreck their bodies for the majority of their lives? Buh bye. No sense in draining the system to prolong their life so that they can continue their bad habits. Sorry, but this is the only thing that will wake people up. As long as people know there is a magic pill or a safety net, etc - they will continue to do it. Let people who self inflict illnesses fend for themselves. They need to know that their will be a dire consequence to their actions.

I'm not saying that this is the best answer, but it certainly isn't the worst. There is no easy way to go about fixing the problem. We enjoy all of the freedoms that we have, but some become self destructive in a sense. I don't see why I should have to pay more because some fuckstick wants to eat 3 Big Macs a day, but I will have to at some point, whether that is by Obamacare or my BCBS premium.

Part of the problem is that everything has become so commercialized. Everything is so convenient. You can't turn around without some sort of fast food chain within a mile. And as a society, we have accepted that. But we have to let it happen, because this is America. And it creates jobs. I could go on and on. The obesity problem is multi-faceted. You can't just pinpoint the root cause and kill it. But if you did, you're going to cause alot of economic damage. Left unchecked, it will cause alot of economic damage. What do you do?

[GH2001]

I'm not saying that this is the best answer, but it certainly isn't the worst. There is no easy way to go about fixing the problem. We enjoy all of the freedoms that we have, but some become self destructive in a sense. I don't see why I should have to pay more because some fuckstick wants to eat 3 Big Macs a day, but I will have to at some point, whether that is by Obamacare or my BCBS premium.

Part of the problem is that everything has become so commercialized. Everything is so convenient. You can't turn around without some sort of fast food chain within a mile. And as a society, we have accepted that. But we have to let it happen, because this is America. And it creates jobs. I could go on and on. The obesity problem is multi-faceted. You can't just pinpoint the root cause and kill it. But if you did, you're going to cause alot of economic damage. Left unchecked, it will cause alot of economic damage. What do you do?

That's why I say cut em off. Quit funding them. Let insurance have the right to deny their fatasses. No more govt subsidy.

[AUTiger1]

I like it. 
You shall be my secretary of energy when I am made benevolent dictator.

Can I be your Sec of Defense?  I believe in neutron bombs.  I also believe that if we are to bomb a country we save all the hot women of said country and move them to the SE US. 

[Saniflush]

Can I be your Sec of Defense?  I believe in neutron bombs.  I also believe that if we are to bomb a country we save all the hot women of said country and move them to the SE US.

Well I was planning on serving double duty but I can be persuaded. 

[GH2001]

Can I be your Sec of Defense?  I believe in neutron bombs.  I also believe that if we are to bomb a country we save all the hot women of said country and move them to the SE US.

Most of the hotties in the world are already in the SE US.

[GarMan]

The solution, as harsh as it may sound, is survival of the fittest...

End of story...  Problem solved.

[AUChizad]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323826704578354543929974394.html

Judge Halts New York City Soda Ban

By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL

Bottles of soda are displayed on a shelf in New York earlier this year.

A state judge on Monday stopped Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration from banning the sale of large sugary drinks at New York City restaurants and other venues, a major defeat for a mayor who has made public-health initiatives a cornerstone of his tenure.

The city is "enjoined and permanently restrained from implementing or enforcing the new regulations," New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling decided Monday.

The regulations are "fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences," the judge wrote. "The simple reading of the rule leads to the earlier acknowledged uneven enforcement even within a particular city block, much less the city as a whole….the loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the state purpose of the rule."

Under the first-of-its-kind prohibition approved by the city Board of Health last year, establishments from restaurants to mobile food carts would have been prohibited from selling sugary drinks larger than 16 oz. After a three-month grace period, the city would have started fining violators $200 per sale.

The city rules, set to take effect on March 12, didn't include convenience stores, such as 7-Elevens, and supermarkets, both of which are regulated by the state government.

In his ruling, Judge Tingling found the Board of Health's mission is to protect New Yorkers by providing regulations that prevent and protect against diseases. Those powers, he argued, don't include the authority to "limit or ban a legal item under the guise of 'controlling chronic disease.' "

The board may supervise and regulate the city's food supply when it affects public health, but the City Charter clearly outlines when such steps may be taken: According to Judge Tingling, the city must face imminent danger due to disease.

"That has not been demonstrated," he wrote.

Judge Tingling also suggested that Mr. Bloomberg overstepped his powers by bringing the sugary drink rules before the Board of Health, which is solely appointed by him. The City Council, he wrote, is the legislative body "and it alone has the authority to legislate as the board seeks to do here."

Across New York City, restaurants, bars and movie theaters had already started bracing for the change.

Brother Jimmy's BBQ, a chain with five locations in the city, had already ordered 1,000 new glasses for soft drinks at their five New York City locations. The restaurants serve soda in 24-oz. glasses, CEO Josh Lebowitz said earler this month—8 oz. more than city's new rules.

The anti-obesity effort to limit sales of sugary drinks was one of a number of ambitious public-health initiatives Mr. Bloomberg has launched since taking office in 2002.

He first prohibited smoking in bars, which proved to be one of his most popular achievements despite initial resistance. By 2008, the city stopped restaurants from using all but trace amounts of transfats, and Mr. Bloomberg recently won some success in convincing global food companies to lower the amount of sodium in prepackaged products.

Limiting the size of sugary drinks, however, wasn't proving as popular with voters. "He always tells us what to do. It's not just about soda," said Dante Nero, who was drinking a large cola while having lunch with a friend Monday at Dallas BBQ in the East Village of Manhattan.

"It ridiculous to put this kind of money and legislation into something that people are going to find a way to bypass," said Mr. Nero, 46 years old, of Brooklyn.

[Snaggletiger]

Thank gawd, I can now walk the skreets of NY proudly slurpin' on a Big Gulp.

[AUTailgatingRules]

Thank gawd, I can now walk the skreets of NY proudly slurpin' on a Big Gulp.

Actually to be correct, the "Big Gulp" was exempted from the ban.  Because convenience stores are regulated by the state, Bloomberg could not enforce the restriction on them

[WiregrassTiger]

Never wanna live there. No RC cola and no moon pies. Malnourished peoples.