A state judge on Monday stopped Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration from banning the sale of large sugary drinks at New York City restaurants and other venues, a major defeat for a mayor who has made public-health initiatives a cornerstone of his tenure.
The city is "enjoined and permanently restrained from implementing or enforcing the new regulations," wrote New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling, blocking the rules one day before they would have taken effect. The city's chief counsel, Michael Cardozo, pledged to quickly appeal the ruling.
In halting the drink rules, Judge Tingling noted that the incoming sugary drink regulations were "fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences" that would be difficult to enforce with consistency "even within a particular city block, much less the city as a whole."
...In his ruling, Judge Tingling found the Board of Health's mission is to protect New Yorkers by providing regulations that protect against diseases. Those powers, he argued, don't include the authority to "limit or ban a legal item under the guise of 'controlling chronic disease.' "
...Across New York City, restaurants, bars and movie theaters had already started bracing for the change... Brother Jimmy's BBQ, a chain with five locations in the city, had already ordered 1,000 new glasses for soft drinks at their five New York City locations. The restaurants serve soda in 24-oz. glasses, CEO Josh Lebowitz said earlier this month—8 oz. more than city's new rules.
Bloomturd must have had an inkling this decision was going to come down. On Sunday, visiting the little-known and lesser-watched CBS Sunday show -- which I believe is called Sunday Morning With Some Really Old Dude, if memory serves -- Bloomberg denied his ban was a ban.
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg assured Face the Nation’s Bob Schieffer that his soft-drink size restriction that goes into effect this week is just “portion control,” and not a ban...
He said that ... government “is reminding you what’s in your interest” as opposed to companies motivated by profits. He also told New Yorkers that “it’s totally your choice” how much soda you want to have, as long as they are willing to make multiple purchases of 16-ounce sodas.
Unfortunately for many businesses, the expensive changes to their business mandated by Mayor Mussolini had already taken their toll:
Monday is the last day New Yorkers will be able to buy super-sized sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters, sports venues and street carts in New York City.
The cola crackdown goes into effect on Tuesday. The new regulation puts a 16-ounce limit on sugary drinks and applies to both bottled and fountain drinks... establishments like Dunkin’ Donuts have posted colorful fliers explaining the complex rules surrounding coffee... For example, Lattes are exempt because they’re more than half milk and it’s OK for customers to fill their own cups of large coffee with all the sugar they want.
Starbucks announced it plans to continue offering 20 ounce venti-sized drinks because of the milk content. Like Dunkin’ Donuts, customers will also be able to add their own sugar to their coffee...
Worse still, Mini-Mayor had "plans to ambush stores with inspectors toting 17-ounce measuring cups":
Come Tuesday city inspectors will be armed with 17-ounce cups to police New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s controversial new law banning large sodas and other sugary drinks.
The Health Department will begin implementing routine inspections to make sure eateries, including sit down restaurants and fast food chains, are not selling sugary beverages in servings larger than 16 ounces.
Those inspectors will have specially ordered measuring cups to help them enforce the new rule, Deputy Health Commissioner Daniel Kass said in an affidavit recently filed as part of the legal challenge to Bloomberg’s anti-big-soda policy.
Soft-drink size is the mayor's top priority at the same time that the public school system for which he is responsible has an unbelievable 80 percent illiteracy rate.
This man exhibits all the traits of a very sick individual and I sincerely hope he seeks professional help.
I'll write it again:
ReplyDeleteA Government big enough to control how much of a beverage you can drink is big enough to control how much you are allowed to pee.
Its really refreshing to see us, the Right, win a battle or two once in a while, if we don't start beating back the enemy, I feel we will be overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteWho's that ugly dwarf with his hand in your mouth, New York?
ReplyDelete