Just what I needed

You know, I don't even like writing about this stuff anymore, but for some reason, I can't help myself.

Today, the Ess Eff City Council decided that chains (defined as having 14 or more locations in California) need to post their nutritional information for all the world to see. Well, what's wrong with that, you might say. For one thing, they already do it- go to McDonalds, look around, I bet you'll find a large piece of paper with a crappy plastic frame that outlines the nutritional information of that greasy double cheeseburger. If not, guess what, simply go up to one of their helpful counter-people and ask for the nutritional information booklet, and, voila, there you go. Not only that, it's readily available on their web page. And all this information is available because customers have asked for it, not because government demanded it.

But, since people are still eating at fast food restaurants and since fast food restaurants are owned by large (read: evil) corporations, that's simply not good enough. Instead, the City Council wants the nutritional information right up there next to the item- as if me knowing that the double cheeseburger I so dearly love has 440 calories is going to keep me from eating it (rather, having the fries now cooked in a "healthy" soy-based oil instead of the old "unhealthy" oil is what's keeping me from eating there).

Next you might say, but doesn't the customer deserve to have this information available in order to make their own choices? Yes, and the information is already available. And people are still eating there.

If the city wanted to really help people eat better, they'd loosen building and chain restrictions to allow for grocery stores to open in neighborhoods that are under-served, they would work with private corporations to make school lunches more healthy (and appetizing for that matter), and do more to educate the public, especially in lower income areas (since, really, that's who this law is aimed at and to shame those people for eating at chains), at eating better.

I don't really know how making this information even more available is going to solve whatever problem the city sees is the problem- as I noted above, it could be that simply eating at fast food restaurants (or chains) is the problem, or they are trying to shame people into not eating that cheeseburger or slice of cheesecake, or whether they are trying to dissuade minority and lower income residents from eating there (hint: they eat there because they can afford it).

The City Council seems to think that the residents of this city are stupid and incapable of making their own choices, in that, the City Council has their own opinion on what the right choice is and, despite their best efforts on zoning, building restrictions, and other anti-chain legislation, people are still going to chains. Yet at the same time, they pursue other anti-business legislation, such as universal health care and paid sick time, when the only companies that are able to afford those policies are chains.