The New York times reports that New York City Michael Bloomberg sees obesity as such a terrible problem that the city is about to enact a ban on large sugary drinks:
New York City plans to enact a far-reaching ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in the most ambitious effort yet by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity.
The proposed ban would affect virtually the entire menu of popular sugary drinks found in delis, fast-food franchises and even sports arenas, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March.
Presumably, government knows best what’s good for you and they feel that big sodas kill – kinda’ like they felt smoking kills you.
Oddly though, New York City government doesn’t feel that the studies which indicate that active homosexuals have 20 years less life expectancy than heterosexuals warrants any action. Interesting that NYC wouldn’t turn their authoritative eye towards that, huh? In fact, they’re actively promoting that lifestyle in any ways.
But they try to argue that it’s just a financial thing about obesity. Fat people drain our healthcare system and we all end up paying more. But think about it, big sodas are such a financial catastrope for society that the government feels forced to act but millions of aborted babies doesn’t rise to the level of requiring any restriction whatsoever. All that taxpayer money that will never come into the government’s piggy bank because the kids were never born to pay taxes on all those medium sodas they could’ve bought.
There’s no doubt that our tax base misses all those young people who would be working and paying taxes right now. But this issue is ignored because in reality, this isn’t about health or wealth. It’s not about cigarettes or sugar. It’s about power.
