Secret Squirrel Comments On New York Mayor's Intentions To Ban Large Sugary Drinks.

Secret Squirrel has noticed the New York Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, taking a very odd tangent with respect to the freedoms of Americans concerning their drinks, their sugary drinks,what and how much they drink and has taken it upon himself, in what he states is their own good, to restrict their freedom and ban the sales of large sized sugary drinks.
The Guardian headline reads........

A soda ban in New York City? Mayor's latest anti-obesity plan angers some

Mayor Mike Bloomberg's plan to ban over sized, sugary drinks in New York City has soda lovers up in arms

(at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/31/soda-ban-new-york-mayor?newsfeed=true)

Secret Squirrel finds that the New York Mayor,The Hizzoner ,Mike Bloomberg, is to attempt to ban what he calls over sized soft drinks in his war on fat........wonderful a war on fat, a war on Americans becoming obese, and attempting to slim those who are fat, obese.He has stated intent, .......that the ban on selling sugary drinks over 16oz could be in place by March..banning the so-called Big Gulps, and....shudder...Slurpees. It would not not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks or alcoholic beverages. The ban also would not include drinks sold in grocery or convenience stores – unless they're the type of store that's classed as a "food-service establishment".The ban would not apply to drinks with fewer than 25 calories per 8-ounce serving, like zero-calorie Vitamin Waters and unsweetened iced teas, as well as diet sodas.

Restaurants, delis, movie theater and ballpark concessions would be affected, because they are regulated by the health department. Carts on sidewalks and in Central Park would also be included, but not vending machines or newsstands that serve only a smattering of fresh food items.

At fast-food chains, where sodas are often dispersed at self-serve fountains, restaurants would be required to hand out cup sizes of 16 ounces or less, regardless of whether a customer opts for a diet drink. But free refills — and additional drink purchases — would be allowed.

Corner stores and bodegas would be affected if they are defined by the city as “food service establishments.” Those stores can most easily be identified by the health department letter grades they are required to display in their windows.

Any outlet that flouts the ban would be subject to a $200 fine.
 But this infringes on the individual right of Americas,the very civil liberties of Americans,the great right  to go to war, to go to war against Fat, against obesity, and it infringes on their right to civil dissent and NOT join the war on fat, the war on obesity,does it not. Americans have the right to choose what is offered, to decide on the size of their soft drink, to pay less for more. They can, alternately order more soft drinks in the smaller sizes to quench their thirst, what they see as their pleasure, their need, their necessity.Will the Mayor indeed even yet THEN order a limit on the sales of soft drinks, a limit on what one may drink.The Mayor admitted he occasionally sips a diet soda on a hot day, but argues that there won't be any laws restricting the amount of small sodas one can purchase.

'Your argument, I guess, could be that it’s a little less convenient to have to carry two 16-ounce drinks to your seat in the movie theater rather than one 32 ounce,' he (Mayor Bloomberg)said.So quite clearly such a ban, besides being what it is,Draconian, is also ridiculous, useless and fruitless, and so very then, unnecessary,is it quite clearly not?



Recall, though, that the Mayor has not seen fit to declare prohibition, to limit the size of beers, or drinks in bars,or at public sports events,and other public events and gatherings.He does not seem to see a need there.Previously Bloomberg suggested a sate wide tax on sugary drinks, but that didn't fly.He also attempted a ban on using Food Stamps concerning the purchase of sugary drinks.Clearly he is himself very much against the consumption of sugary drinks, or else attempting to decide for Americans what is the proper quantity of said sugary drinks that they should of could consume, perhaps next an unenforceable draconian prohibition in general on sugary drinks, to the same extent that the original Prohibition took away the right of Americans to consume alcoholic beverages, or perhaps an actual law enacted to limit the amount of sugary drinks an American may consume in a day or on said stated day.IT IS NOT FOR THE NEW YORK MAYOR TO DECIDE WHAT AND HOW MUCH ANY AMERICAN CITIZEN SHOULD DRINK.If petty local Mayoral tyrants like Bloomberg can tell you how much you can weigh and how large a cup of soda you can drink, do you have any personal liberty whatsoever? Is there any intrusion into your personal business the sanctimonious Mayor  won’t feel entitled to inflict? And he can, you know, unopposed. With his machinations to change State dictims,however, he lost, lost because there it must go through due process of Senatorial like processes, not an easy thing when a majority of a large group of citizenry is required,something lacking in his mayoral processes.It’s almost as if Bloomberg doesn’t understand the obvious question, “By what right?”Mr. Bloomberg’s proposal requires the approval of the Board of Health, a step that is considered likely because the members are all appointed by him, and the board’s chairman is the city’s health commissioner, who joined the mayor in supporting the measure on Wednesday.With the new proposal, City Hall is now trying to see how much it can accomplish without requiring outside approval. Mayoral aides say they are confident that they have the legal authority to restrict soda sales, based on the city’s jurisdiction over local eating establishments, the same oversight that allows for the health department’s letter-grade cleanliness rating system for restaurants.  How then can he really be opposed.His ridiculous previous proposals were attempts at State Wide bans,which of course were and are moderated by the State Government.This proposal affects only New York City (oft known as Gotham City)itself. Oh where oh where is the Batman, the obviously unopposable New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, has revealed himself as being Schrecklich ,as Schrecklich as a Max Schreck.