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Soda Ban Proposal Draws Ire, Support From All Over
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jun 1, 2012
Modified Jun 1, 2012
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jun 1, 2012
Modified Jun 1, 2012
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Mayor Bloomberg's soda ban proposal has made quite a sugary splash of late, with everyone from House Representative Paul Ryan to Jon Stewart weighing in on Hizzoner's calorie control.
And the battle lines between Big Gulp and Big Government have been drawn—today, McDonalds went so far as to tweet at the Mayor, stating, "@MikeBloomberg We trust our customers to make the choices that are best for them," (though history suggests some fans of the Golden Arches make better choices than others.) So whether you're all for slicing oversized drinks off restaurant menus or clearing room out of your freezer to store a lifetime supply of Venti frappaccinos for PepsiCo Prohibition, here's a roundup of bigwigs sounding off on the possibility of a ban:
PRO
New York Post Editorial:: "We've never been fans of coercive government measures. But this one seems less onerous than most."
Political strategist and Forbes/Fox News contributor Doug Schoen: "I'm not saying this plan is revolutionary or will stop the obesity crisis. What I am saying, however, is that this is an actionable, measured plan that is sure to make a difference."
Former President Bill Clinton: "I think he's doing the right thing…I know a lot of people think, 'Well, this is a nanny state and [Bloomberg is] interfering.' But these are very serious problems. It's like shortening your life and undermining the quality of your life and exploding the cost of our healthcare system."
ANTI
Speaker of the House John Boehner: "Are you kidding me? C'mon, don't we have bigger issues to deal with than the size of some soft drink that someone buys?"
Jon Stewart: "I love this idea you have of banning sodas larger than 16 ounces. It combines the draconian government overreach people love with the probable lack of results they expect."
House Representive Paul Ryan (R-Wis): "Hey, look, I gave up pop for Lent three years ago. I haven't had one since. But that's up to you, do what you want with your life."
Coca-Cola: "New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this. They can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase."
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn: "Seems to me [the plan is] not about knowledge, empowerment or access. It seems to be more on the punitive side of things, and I worry... in the end, it won’t have the positive result. People will just get more, smaller sodas or refills."
New York Times Editorial: "Promoting healthy lifestyles is important…But too much nannying with a ban might well cause people to tune out."
Any surprises?
Tagged
bill clinton
doug schoen
john boehner
Jon Stewart
mayor bloomberg
mcdonald's
paul ryan
soda ban
Rebecca Fishbein
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