LA City Council Passes Ordinance Placing Moratorium on Fast Food Restaurants in Impoverished Areas
July 30, 2008
The city of Los Angeles council has unanimously approved an ordinance which puts a moratorium on any new fast food restaurans in an “impoverished” area. This is likely the first time something like this has been passed in an effort to fight obesity. Unfortunately, the problem goes beyond simply blocking any further fast food restaurants and hoping people will lose weight. It is also an issue of economics and choice. People can walk into McDonald’s and get a salad, but they simply choose not to. That choice is a function of economics and free will.
Laws are popping up every day which seek to curtail supply in the hopes that demand will fall. In the past big box stores or “formula retail” stores were banned in many communities, but now for an entirely different reason, fast food restaurants are being barred.
I’m sure some of the people in these communities could stand to lose some weight, but they could also stand to gain from better education, and economic opportunities. Passing laws like this are nothing more than an effort to hide the failures of our leadership. I hope the restaurants, or their association challenge this ruling in court and help put the spotlight back on what the real underlying problems are.
Similar Posts:
- Now San Jose “Leaders” Want To Ban Fast Food Restaurants
- Thelen Reid & Priest Chooses to Dissolve; Landlords Wondering Who’s Next?
- UCLA Reports on San Francisco Office Market
- Japan Economy Slips; GDP Shrinks 2.4%
- Banks To Continue Dumping Office Space
Here’s a suggestion that would still raise the ire of trade groups, but might actually do some good: require ALL restaurants to include nutritional information right on the menus. Some sit-down restaurants are actually much worse than fast food.
great idea, i’d be all for it. I wish they would also grade restaurants on cleanliness and post it on the front door.