NYC Soda Ban

The New York City board of health approved the ban on cups of soda greater than 16 ounces yesterday! It certainly doesn't seem like this is a logical or effective approach to reducing obesity since there are so many other items that are much worse. It seems like this actually has so many loopholes and generates so many questions it will be basically unable to be enforced. Also since it wasn't passed as an ordnance but only dictated by the board of health (under the mayor's direction) it sounds like how the presidency is trying to operate these days since it can't get legislation passed which means it's not acting in the best interest of the people.

Here's an article: NYC Soda Ban

The New York City board of health approved the ban on cups of soda greater than 16 ounces yesterday! It certainly doesn't seem like this is a logical or effective approach to reducing obesity since there are so many other items that are much worse. It seems like this actually has so many loopholes and generates so many questions it will be basically unable to be enforced. Also since it wasn't passed as an ordnance but only dictated by the board of health (under the mayor's direction) it sounds like how the presidency is trying to operate these days since it can't get legislation passed which means it's not acting in the best interest of the people.

Here's an article: NYC Soda Ban

I was with you until that last sentence. One could also say that this is yet one more example of Republicans doing things against the public interest, but as this is also beyond the point I won't say it.

One could also say that this is yet one more example of Republicans doing things against the public interest, but as this is also beyond the point I won't say it.

I'll volunteer to say it.

[Robin Garr]

I was with you until that last sentence. One could also say that this is yet one more example of Republicans doing things against the public interest, but as this is also beyond the point I won't say it.

Bloomberg is no ordinary Republican.

I was with you until that last sentence. One could also say that this is yet one more example of Republicans doing things against the public interest, but as this is also beyond the point I won't say it.

Bloomberg is no ordinary Republican.

No, Bloomberg is exactly the kind of Republican that led me to register as one umpteen years ago . . . socially liberal, fiscally conservative, in the mold of Rockefeller. He is NOT a Tea-Partier, but stands for old-time Republican values. Sometime for fun look back at Eisenhower's platform - if you are a liberal today, you will find you agree with about 80% of it!

[Robin Garr]

Bloomberg is no ordinary Republican.

No, Bloomberg is exactly the kind of Republican that led me to register as one umpteen years ago . . . socially liberal, fiscally conservative, in the mold of Rockefeller. He is NOT a Tea-Partier, but stands for old-time Republican values. Sometime for fun look back at Eisenhower's platform - if you are a liberal today, you will find you agree with about 80% of it!

My point exactly. Not to mention Jacob Javits, Kenneth Keating, Margaret Chase Smith, and Kentucky's own Thruston Morton and John Sherman Cooper, among many, many more. When I was a sprout, I used to divide my vote between Democrats and Republicans, but the more the GOP drifts toward Teh Crazy, the more liberal I look by staying in the same place.

I was with you until that last sentence. One could also say that this is yet one more example of Republicans doing things against the public interest, but as this is also beyond the point I won't say it.

Bloomberg is no ordinary Republican.

No, Bloomberg is exactly the kind of Republican that led me to register as one umpteen years ago . . . socially liberal, fiscally conservative, in the mold of Rockefeller. He is NOT a Tea-Partier, but stands for old-time Republican values. Sometime for fun look back at Eisenhower's platform - if you are a liberal today, you will find you agree with about 80% of it!

He isnt fiscally conservative.

Or socially liberal. What kind of liberal opposes people drinking in large volumes? Or supports the police state that Bloomberg is running?

[Robin Garr]

Or socially liberal. What kind of liberal opposes people drinking in large volumes? Or supports the police state that Bloomberg is running?

He's liberal by Republican standards. That doesn't make him a leftie.

Or socially liberal. What kind of liberal opposes people drinking in large volumes? Or supports the police state that Bloomberg is running?

He's liberal by Republican standards. That doesn't make him a leftie.

Actually he's no longer a Republican, he's now an Independent! Which mean nobody likes him or everybody loves him depending on how you look at it!

I've never understood "banning" things.

Does it ever work to stop people from getting the banned item?

Can't I just buy two smaller sodas?

How is this limitation of drinking a legal beverage going to be enforced? Can I have multiple beverages that equal the "banned" size in my possession?

This just sounds so ridiculous.

I also wonder about places that have free refills, will those also be banned?

I've never understood "banning" things.

Does it ever work to stop people from getting the banned item?

Can't I just buy two smaller sodas?

How is this limitation of drinking a legal beverage going to be enforced? Can I have multiple beverages that equal the "banned" size in my possession?

This just sounds so ridiculous.

I think it's ridiculous too, but come on. It's easy to see how this is intended to work. It's not an outright ban like on handguns; you won't get arrested for possessing or consuming more than 16oz. of soda. It's not intended to stop people from getting soda in large quantities, it's intended to discourage it by influencing their buying habits, making it more difficult and expensive to purchase large quantities of soda. If you went to Burger King and a small Coke cost $1.49, you might be a lot more inclined to pony up an extra 30 cents to upgrade to a medium than you would be to shell out another $1.49 to buy a second cup.

Now, whether it's reasonable for the nanny state to police our habits in this way is another consideration altogether, but it's not hard to see how it's intended to work.

It's easy to see how this is intended to work.

Sorry I still don't get it...

Most Burger Kings offer free refills.

Listen,

This sort of thing worked incredibly well in the 20's with Alcohol, in the 80's and 90's with drugs and guns, and it has pretty much kept all Catholics from having unsafe sex before marriage. Banning has a proven track record that gives me the utmost confidence that this too will enjoy a comparable level of success.

Clearly if you ban something it eliminates the desire and demand for that thing.

I had the opposite happen today. Went through mcdonalds and ordered a medium diet coke. At the next window I was handed a monster sized drink. "This is a medium??" The girl said they're all the same price so she might as well give me the large. #1 I really don't want to lug around that much soda (which I'll never finish) and #2 I know soda is cheap, but after upsizing enough sides for the same price they're losing money.