Council bans new fast-food outlets in South L.A.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Fascinating, the concept of 'personal responsibility' eludes the knuckleheads on Los Angeles city council. Isn't it funny how intrusive social engineering is perfectly kosher when done to poor/minority people? They're not talking about banning new fast food places in the nicer parts of LA. I know Los Angeles is a cesspool but this is beyond self-parody.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-fastfood30-2008jul30,0,7844906.story

Council bans new fast-food outlets in South L.A.
Pollo
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Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times
A Times analysis of the city's roughly 8,200 restaurants late last year found that South L.A. had the highest concentration of fast-food eateries.
The one-year moratorium, proposed by Councilwoman Jan Perry, is aimed at attracting restaurants serving healthier fare to the area, where a study found 30% of children are obese.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske and David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
July 30, 2008
» Discuss Article    (60 Comments)

A law that would bar fast-food restaurants from opening in South Los Angeles for at least a year sailed through the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday.

The council approved the fast-food moratorium unanimously, despite complaints from representatives of McDonald's, Carl's Jr. and other companies, who said they were being unfairly targeted.

 

    * Fast-food ban
      Fast-food ban

Councilwoman Jan Perry, who has pushed for a moratorium for six years, said the initiative would give the city time to craft measures to lure sit-down restaurants serving healthier food to a part of the city that desperately wants more of them.

"I believe this is a victory for the people of South and southeast Los Angeles, for them to have greater food options," she said.

The ban covers a 32-square-mile area for one year, with two possible six-month extensions.

The area contains about 500,000 residents, including those who live in West Adams, Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park.

The law defines fast-food restaurants as "any establishment which dispenses food for consumption on or off the premises, and which has the following characteristics: a limited menu, items prepared in advance or prepared or heated quickly, no table orders and food served in disposable wrapping or containers."

A report released last year by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found 30% of children in South L.A. were obese, compared with 25% of all children in the city.

Still, several fast-food workers told the council that the panel was ignoring the good things their franchises accomplish. The workers argued that fast-food establishments provide residents with job opportunities and, in recent years, nutritious menu options.

"McDonald's believes in healthy choices," said Don Bailey, who has owned and operated the company's restaurants in South Los Angeles for 22 years.

Another foe of the measure was Madelyn Alfano, whose company, Maria's Italian Kitchen, has restaurants in Sherman Oaks, Brentwood and other parts of the city. Alfano said the law would create new red tape and force restaurateurs to spend thousands more to start businesses.

"The intent of this bill, and this proposal, is a very good one. There is an obesity problem," said Alfano, whose company recently opened an express version of the restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. But "I don't think the restaurant industry is to blame."

Moratoriums frequently last as long as two years at City Hall, to give planning officials enough time to craft new zoning rules. Perry said businesses can apply for a "hardship exemption" if they are intent on opening a fast-food restaurant.

The councilwoman also said she expected city officials to come up with financial assistance for some restaurants.

"This will buy us time to aggressively market the district and show potential developers that we are not only open for business, but have some substantive incentives to make it worth their while to develop in South L.A.," she said.

molly.hennessy-fiske

@latimes.com

david.zahniser@latimes.com

[tik 🪀✨]

I wonder what the people in southern L.A. think about this. If they wanted this to happen, I don't see the problem. Otherwise, though, nanny state blah blah

[Sam Spade]

If only the poor people had the money to indulge in the types of options the council is mandating.  Yet another indirect tax on them.  Oh well.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

GREAT NEWS

I'm glad the thugs in south central that rioted over Rodney King, cheered over OJ, and have made the place unlivable for most people won't be dying too soon since they have to start eating at heart-healthy food joints. 

[MODU]

I heard about this last night.  Someone made the joke/comment about armed guards standing outside of the restaurants turning back fat people. 

ONLY IN LA! 

[Хahar 🤔]

Time for me to laugh at LA. Because it's always fun.

[Sbane]

LOL@LA. Always finding a way to screw the poor. When we do bullsh**t like this in the bay we at least do it in the white, rich liberal places. Actually the only things I can think of is that trans fat ban in Marin county. See they can afford to be of trans-fats, many in south LA have to eat crap because that is what their financial situation requires.

[NDN]

NO U GUYZ U DONT UNDERSTAND MCDONALDS TARGETS PEOPLE WITH LIEK ADS AND STUFF. ITS EVIL LOL DEMOCRA$Y!

[dead0man]

God Damned conservatives always using the power of govt to screw over the poor!  We should all learn a lesson here and vote Democratic, they'd never do something like that.

[Хahar 🤔]

But libertarians are, of course, guaranteed to do so.

[Ban my account ffs!]

God Damned conservatives always using the power of govt to screw over the poor!  We should all learn a lesson here and vote Democratic, they'd never do something like that.

Nah.. conservatives just use the power of corporations... to which the poor are completely powerless.  At least here they can show up to the city council meetings and bitch.

[dead0man]

But libertarians are, of course, guaranteed to do so.

Que?

[dead0man]

God Damned conservatives always using the power of govt to screw over the poor!  We should all learn a lesson here and vote Democratic, they'd never do something like that.

Nah.. conservatives just use the power of corporations... to which the poor are completely powerless.  At least here they can show up to the city council meetings and bitch.

Yeah, we've done this before.  Corporations are so much more horrible than govts, you'd show me examples, but it's just so obvious right?

[War on Want]

God Damned conservatives always using the power of govt to screw over the poor!  We should all learn a lesson here and vote Democratic, they'd never do something like that.

Nah.. conservatives just use the power of corporations... to which the poor are completely powerless.  At least here they can show up to the city council meetings and bitch.

[Torie]

Who will benefit the most from this law?  Anyone?

[CARLHAYDEN]

Who will benefit the most from this law?  Anyone?

The current fast food operators in the area who are guaranteed no new competition!

[Torie]

Who will benefit the most from this law?  Anyone?

The current fast food operators in the area who are guaranteed no new competition!

You are a pretty perceptive guy sir. Bingo.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Who will benefit the most from this law?  Anyone?

The current fast food operators in the area who are guaranteed no new competition!

You are a pretty perceptive guy sir. Bingo.

Thanks.

[NDN]

God Damned conservatives always using the power of govt to screw over the poor!  We should all learn a lesson here and vote Democratic, they'd never do something like that.

Nah.. conservatives just use the power of corporations... to which the poor are completely powerless.  At least here they can show up to the city council meetings and bitch.

Yeah, we've done this before.  Corporations are so much more horrible than govts, you'd show me examples, but it's just so obvious right?

I haven't heard about many governments purposefully dumping toxic waste near aquifers like say, Metalclad. Or putting plastic into puppy chow. Or any of the other crap you hear about in the news (or not). The truth is both big business and government are potentially oppressive, and they have a tendency to collude together. That's why there need to be simple, clearly defined and impartial rules on both.

[CARLHAYDEN]

God Damned conservatives always using the power of govt to screw over the poor!  We should all learn a lesson here and vote Democratic, they'd never do something like that.

Nah.. conservatives just use the power of corporations... to which the poor are completely powerless.  At least here they can show up to the city council meetings and bitch.

Yeah, we've done this before.  Corporations are so much more horrible than govts, you'd show me examples, but it's just so obvious right?

I haven't heard about many governments purposefully dumping toxic waste near aquifers like say, Metalclad. Or putting plastic into puppy chow. Or any of the other crap you hear about in the news (or not). The truth is both big business and government are potentially oppressive, and they have a tendency to collude together. That's why there need to be simple, clearly defined and impartial rules on both.

I'm no ecofreak, but, for many years,  the biggest polluters of the aquafer were municipalities that dumpted untreated waste.

Indeed, just a decade ago some really arrogant and ignorant bureaucrats screwed up my city's water system, which created tens of millions of dollars of damages.

[Third Party]

I approve of this legislation. 66% of adults in this country are already overweight, half of which are obese. This number is projected to increase to 75% by 2015 and 86% by 2030. We need to withdraw from Iraq and declare war on obesity.

[King]

I approve of this legislation. 66% of adults in this country are already overweight, half of which are obese. This number is projected to increase to 75% by 2015 and 86% by 2030. We need to withdraw from Iraq and declare war on obesity.

And having one McDonalds in a one mile radius instead of two will improve these statistics, how?

[dead0man]

God Damned conservatives always using the power of govt to screw over the poor!  We should all learn a lesson here and vote Democratic, they'd never do something like that.

Nah.. conservatives just use the power of corporations... to which the poor are completely powerless.  At least here they can show up to the city council meetings and bitch.

Yeah, we've done this before.  Corporations are so much more horrible than govts, you'd show me examples, but it's just so obvious right?

I haven't heard about many governments purposefully dumping toxic waste near aquifers like say, Metalclad. Or putting plastic into puppy chow. Or any of the other crap you hear about in the news (or not). The truth is both big business and government are potentially oppressive, and they have a tendency to collude together. That's why there need to be simple, clearly defined and impartial rules on both.

And govts have killed many hundreds of millions of people (not even counting war) in the last hundred years through incompetence alone.  Add in malice and you've got another few hundred million dead and that's still not counting wars.  How many people have corporations killed in the same time frame?  How many corporations have sicked dogs on black people?  How many Jews have been shoved into ovens by the phone company?

[dead0man]

I approve of this legislation. 66% of adults in this country are already overweight, half of which are obese. This number is projected to increase to 75% by 2015 and 86% by 2030. We need to withdraw from Iraq and declare war on obesity.

Yes, regulation will solve the problem!  If we're not smart enough to survive life with options, we need the govt to force tjhose options away.  This has always ended well in the past.

[NDN]

And govts have killed many hundreds of millions of people (not even counting war) in the last hundred years through incompetence alone.  Add in malice and you've got another few hundred million dead and that's still not counting wars.

 
Obviously, however there are other forms of evil besides mass murder. And again, many corporations have been culpable or even essentially in charge of murderous regimes.

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You don't think companies participated in segregation? Or that they're not hiring thugs over in Africa or Latin America now?

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The holocaust would have been far less effective if it wasn't for companies like IBM supplying the camp's databases or Siemens building the rails with slave labor.