Super-Size Me In New York City? The Soda Police Say NO!
New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg is on the warpath against sugary drinks. He not as worried about huge budgets as he is about huge butts. He says there are just too many extra wide loads among the fine citizens of N.Y.C. and claims to have found a way to stop the insanity (or start it). The Mayor says that it's all about big, sugary drinks and believes that they are the primary cause of obesity among the Big Apple Citizenry.
If Bloomberg has his way, the socialist wolf in capitalist's clothing will make sure that no one can purchase a sugary drink in a size larger than sixteen ounces within the city limits. Now that ONLY applies to sugary drinks and he claims that there are exemptions for various businesses. He also says that people will be able to get refills on smaller sizes, but the last time I checked most local health codes in the good old USA frown on reusing cups unless they are specifically made for reuse.
It sounds to me like his idea will add a whole bunch more plastic to the city dump areas and, perhaps, bring out the green police who will launch their own campaign against the mayor and his soda police. When will politicians learn that you can no more legislate healthy choices than you can legislate morality? I guess that Bloomberg didn't get that memo because he recently appeared on an MSNBC TV Show and dropped this bomb: "We're not taking away anybody's right to do things, we're simply forcing you to understand that you have to make the conscious decision to go from one cup to another cup."
Hey, Mayor Nutball: The last time I checked 'forcing' a consumer to purchase something they want that is not illegal in a size they do not want is called restricting a choice on their part. But let's get to the real root of the problem, one that has been growing by leaps and bounds for years. Politicians think that their constituents are all a bunch of ignorant consumer sheep being lead to the slaughter by big companies offering unhealthy foods and beverages that are making us all fat and sick. Let's stop there for a reality check.
What can be more unhealthy for us than having to pay tax on tax on tax for the essentials of life. If we're forced to pay a fortune for gasoline because almost half that price per gallon represents local, state and federal taxes, we have to limit our ability to purchase quality foods that almost always cost more than cheap foods. The cheap food choices offer carbohydrates that make you feel full and add to your waistline as much as the cheap soda drinks do because of the large amount of sugar in them, but that's all that many people can afford.
Expensive fuel hits everyone in the wallet twice because it is not just the budget busting prices at the pump thanks to all those taxes, it is also the fact that the stores have to get the food they sell delivered to them. That takes fuel and expensive gas and diesel prices mean expensive food prices. That means consumers have even less choices for what few bucks they have left to spend at the grocery store. So what do they do? They buy soda instead of fruit drinks because it's a lot cheaper. They buy discount frozen pizza instead of meat they can prepare and cook because that is all they can afford. It's simple economics for us and passing the buck for politicians.
Let's ask His Honor how much Big Apple gas would cost without all the taxes on each gallon. I was born in New York City and lived there for many years. It was no accident that whenever I had to go to New Jersey for anything I would stop and fill up my gas tank before returning. The savings per gallon was significant and it was all about the amount of taxes levied on each gallon of gas. That was something that everyone who lived in New York City knew about and cheap Jersey gas was something we all looked forward to whenever we ventured westward.
Despite several decades of trying to eliminate all kinds of fats in foods, using those horrible tasting fake oils to fry things and trying to make us all buy only those foods that politicians felt were good for us, everyone is still getting fatter. Why? Well, here's a possible answer: Perhaps people would cook more and feel better about eating food that is other than fast and cheap if they had some extra time and cash to make those choices. With taxes being high and an economy pushed into the toilet by constant federal meddling, corporate stupidity and greed, it's hard for families to survive without having every adult in the household work and seek overtime whenever they can get it.
What really amazes me is how politicians are always asking us to tighten our belts, make healthy choices and do without while they wine and dine their way through their lives and do favors for all their wealthy friends. I don't think that a rich man like Mayor Bloomberg has any idea about how we are forced to live in a politically-correct America. He should be the last one to decide what is or isn't good for us. I am not an expert, but I would think that his time would be better spent trying to put more money in the pockets of his citizens and less in his own.
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