In an effort to curb obesity the LA City Council actually thinks it can do so by banning any new fast food restaurants from opening in South Los Angeles. Instead they will only allow "healthy" restaurants to open.
Have you ever heard of a more ridiculous way to fight obesity?
The fact is that businesses, especially restaurants which have one of the highest failure rates of any business, aren't going to move into an area that can't afford to pay for their food. It's a simple fact that fast food restaurants thrive in the area because of their low prices for a meal in a poorer community.
The LA City Council knows better though and is now going to try and dictate exactly which types of commercial businesses can open and where, rather than allowing the system which has made American growth possible based on a success and failure model called capitalism.
USA Today
Believing that a diet heavy on fast food is contributing to a rise in obesity and health problems, the Los Angeles City Council is about to consider a moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A.
While it wouldn't close Lopez's restaurant of choice, the plan is to hold off on any new ones while city planners try to find ways to attract restaurants with a wider variety of food offerings to neighborhoods with some of the city's largest concentrations of minority and low-income residents.
"We're in a region we consider 'resource poor' where wholesome, nutritious foods are concerned," says Gwendolyn Flynn, health and policy director for the city's Community Health Councils, an advocacy organization. "We have a saturation of fast-food restaurants in South L.A."
The proposal would halt the issuance of city zoning permits to new fast-food restaurants in the neighborhoods for at least one year and up to two years.
Really, can you get just a little more into peoples private lives and now their businesses politicians in California? Because we all know that government like that in California knows how to make a profit.
As for obesity, well people will continue to eat garbage and not care about their physical health until they want to whether some City Council member likes it or not.
Another concern is that "fast food restaurant" is not defined and is up to interpretation. So it seems if this passes you will have to take your business plan to the city council for approval before you open that new restaurant, lest it be dubbed a fast food restaurant and shut down with an iron fist. Of course you could always say "F that" and just open your business elsewhere and deprive them of the corporate taxes you would have contributed to this poor community.
Tipped by: Debbie Schlussel
