This "progressive" future will be the epitome of mankind's greatness. It is just the beginning of real change. It is so wonderful. We will all be one. Mass. mayor suggests ban on large drinks, free refills June 20th, 2012 A Massachusetts mayor is taking inspiration from a controversial New York City proposal to ban large, sugary beverages – and might even want to take it a step further. Cambridge Mayor Henrietta Davis (D) unveiled a proposal that would outlaw large-size sodas and other sugary drinks in area restaurants to the City Council on Monday. She’s also suggesting that city officials consider banning free refills of sugary beverages, which would be a step beyond New York City’s plan. “Our environment is full of way too many temptations,” Davis said. “This is one temptation that isn’t really necessary.” The move comes on the heels of a proposal by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier in the month to ban sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces in New York City. That ban would apply at restaurants, food carts and any other establishments that receive letter grades for food service, but it would not apply to grocery stores. Both Bloomberg and Davis have cited rising rates of obesity and diabetes as reasoning for recommending the ban. Davis’ proposal is in its earliest stages and doesn’t yet specify a drink size limit. The plan will move to the city’s Public Health Department, where a group of stakeholders – including elected officials as well as restaurant and business owners who would be affected by such a ban – will create a more clear-cut proposal, she said. Cambridge, part of the Boston area, is home to more than 100,000 people as well as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A manager of Cambridge restaurant Fire and Ice said a ban on free refills would affect the establishment. The $1.99 price for a 16-ounce soda there includes complimentary refills. About half of Fire and Ice’s customers take the free-refill offer, manager John Eller said. “I’m guessing if we don’t have free refills, we would have to charge less, so that would affect us,” Eller said. “There’s other ways to (promote health) other than forcing people not to take an extra cup of soda.” Bloomberg’s office applauded the Cambridge proposal. “We proposed it because it was the right thing to do for public health, and as we saw from the smoking ban, when NYC leads with bold solutions on tough issues, others will follow,” said Samantha Levine, a spokeswoman for the mayor. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/20/mass-mayor-suggests-ban-on-large-drinks-free-refills/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Soda Ban In LA: Councilman Proposes Limiting Access To Soda In Parks & Libraries 06/20/2012 Los Angeles parks and libraries could soon be soda-free. When Councilman Mitch Englander discovered that his daughter was unable to buy anything but sugar-packed sodas in a city park vending machine, he introduced a motion to ban them. Englander pitched his proposed soda ban at parks and libraries to the city's Arts, Parks, Health & Aging Committee on Tuesday, CBS reports. The council member, who serves as president of the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association, talked about how sugary sodas increase rates of childhood obesity and diabetes. He demonstrated that a 20-ounce soda bottle contains about 22 packets of sugar, Encino Patch reports. "Here in the city of Los Angeles, one in four children is obese," Englander said to KTLA. "In many of our communities, it's one in three." Sodas can also affect young people mentally, he added, even sometimes increasing violence towards others. Englander's proposed ban, which he hopes to have approved sometime this summer, heard immediate opposition from the American Beverage Association, which flew representatives from Washington, D.C. to attend the meeting, ABC reports. "A ban on soda [in] city parks and libraries will do nothing to improve obesity, and it does nothing to educate consumers about nutrition," said David Thorpe, a representative of the American Beverage Association. Englander's proposition is part of what seems to be becoming a national "War on Soda." New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently introduced a controversial proposal to place a 16-ounce limit on bottled and fountain beverages sold at restaurants and events. Following Bloomberg's lead, the mayor of Cambridge, MA proposed limiting the size of sugar beverages sold at restaurants. The businesses would tally ounces sold and the tax money would go towards fighting childhood obesity with more bike lanes, nutritional education and after-school sports programs, the New York Times reports. The extra cost would presumably be paid by customers who bought the drinks. Similarly, the American Medical Association said Wednesday that it supports taxing sugary sodas as a way to help fund obesity-fighting programs, the Washington Post reports. But the group stopped short of a full-fledged endorsement because some doctors think a tax would disproportionately hurt low-income families and others said taxes shouldn't force people to make healthful decisions. To the surprise of some, "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart took the stance of the Beverage association in response to Bloomberg's proposal. "It combines the draconian government overreach people love with the probable lack of results they expect," the comedian said. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/20/soda-ban-in-la-councilman_n_1612806.html
I support the last bolded item. Sodas are the #1 source of calories in the US. Given the obesity/diabetes epidemic, see no problem taxing the issue like we've done with cigarettes. Where those taxes go are another discussion all together.
Sodas should be taxed, and all the tax money should go to restarting the shuttle program at NASA ... right?
Hightop, don't you know we need the government to save us from ourselves. Why should we think and make our own decisions when the government can do it for us?
It's all a communist plot by Obama and his cronies to impose their leftist, socialist, Islamist, secularist, humanist, feminist, anti-gun, nutritionist, anti-patriotic, propagandist, nanny-state, anti-military, death panel agenda on America! We should have seen it coming in 2008. Obama won't be satisfied until everyone pledges allegiance to the flag of the United Nations. His goal is to be U.N. General Secretary and rule the world in 2020. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
So you ban the soda with it's 120 calories and 30 grams of sugar per serving...but you don't ban the onion blossom or the chili cheese fries or the double patty bacon cheeseburger or whatever else that tops 1500 to 2000 calories. I have no problem taxing these things. But banning them is stupid and will not change behaviors. Besides I try to eat healthy at home so that when I go out to eat, I can actually be bad every now and then. Teach people to want to eat healthy instead of forcing them to stop eating junk.
This is why you hardcore conservatives are so tiresome. Who cares about this? Why should anyone? Next chance you get, go buy a 2 liter of Mountain Dew and guzzle it. Curse liberals while you do. Seriously, you guys get worked up over the stupidest s**t.
Agree. New Yorkers should tax themselves more heavily. As long as they keep their laws to themselves, add another nickel or dime tax on all non-essential food and drink sold in New York. After the citizens there all leave, we won't have to worry about the Knicks, Giants or Jets!
Nice to see someone who actually understands the meaning of libertarianism and voluntary association. ...unlike those who are so anti-collective, that they want everyone to collectively eschew collectivism.