By fitsnews – March 12, 2013New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “War on Soda” was dealt a major defeat this week when an Empire State Supreme Court judge ruled his ban on sugary drinks unconstitutional.
New York Supreme Court justice Milton Tingling said Bloomberg’s “Big Gulp Ban” was “fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences.” As a result, Tingling ruled that the Big Apple was “enjoined and permanently restrained from implementing or enforcing the new regulations.”
Good …
There’s nothing wrong with public officials trying to encourage healthier living, but they cannot make dietary decisions compulsory – at least not when it comes to private citizens making choices with their own money.
“Bloomberg’s proposal is a dangerous infringement on individual liberty – and another example of government treating the symptoms as opposed to the broader disease,” we wrote last year in opposing this ban.
It’s good to see the courts agree with us …
Unfortunately, Bloomberg is doubling down on his Nanny Statism.
“I’ve gotta defend my children, and you, and everybody else and do what’s right to save lives,” he said in announcing his intention to appeal the ruling. “Obesity kills. There’s just no question about it. There’s no question that it comes from overeating and there’s no question that empty calories contribute to the problem.”
Again, we’re not disagreeing with Bloomberg’s basic premise but usurping individual liberty in the name of “protecting citizens from themselves” is never the answer.
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