This just in…the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors have decided to take their concerns about “junk food” a step further. Here’s an excerpt from their next press release:
FROM THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
SAN JOSE, Wednesday, March 31-For Immediate Release: Henceforth, all donuts, cakes, and cookies sold in Santa Clara County must remain unsprinkled. We believe that sprinkles on donuts, cakes, and cookies entice children to eat more. While not a part of this new legislation, bakers and cake decorators are also encouraged to refrain from using bright-colored frostings. We recommend an increased use of white colored frostings and battleship-gray. We thank you in advance for your cooperation. Now go jog a few laps.
County Supervisor Ken Yeager’s efforts to have toys removed from kid’s meals, however well intentioned, were met with a quick push-back. In a letter to the Mercury News, one San Jose resident argued that Yeager’s proposal to have the toys removed is the “silliest example of governmental over-reaching in a long time…We have to hold parents responsible…you don’t create a law that affects everyone because a few irresponsible parents can’t say no to their 3-year-old.” “The problem is not the companies; it is the parents,” wrote another Santa Clara County resident. And, after reporting the story, a TV anchor from one Bay Area station noted that these kids can’t exactly “drive themselves” to fast-food restaurants.
Mercury News columnist Patty Fisher had an interesting take on Yeager’s effort to remove toys from “Happy Meals.” She wrote, “Let’s stop looking at food as a reward for good behavior and see it instead as simply a source of nutrition.” Of course, if we were to apply this same principle to the “grown up” world, a lot of restaurants would have to shut down. After all, who needs fancy, expensive, high-calorie five course meals in upscale restaurants?
We all want healthier kids…but the solution to the problem is on the “demand” side of the equation, not the “supply” side. Parents should not feed their children junk food on a regular basis, if at all. How do we establish and maintain a culture where people take full responsibility for their own children’s welfare? Our society makes too many excuses for too many people. It’s a sad day really, when the government feels both the right and obligation to get involved at such a detailed level as this. In the end, we don’t need more government…we need better parenting.
One more silly diversion from the hard business decisions which the board seems incapable of making.
Bread and circuses.
There should be a litmus test for bureaucrats.
If you propose ridiculous legislation, you lose your job and are forever banned from the political arena.
I believe banning toys in happy meals would qualify for exile.
How fricking ridiculous.
I don’t think Mr. Yeager has gone far enough. This is blatant age discrimination. Why can’t there be toys in adult meals. Come on now, this is rank prejudice on the part of the fast food franchises, and I want it stopped. Next thing you know they start seperating us into concentration camps based on what food we order, oh the humanity.
I got a toy in my adult meal. Made the whole damn package vibrate while I tried to eat my hot dog.
The Supervisors, especially Yeager, are a bunch of simpletons. They should be picking up trash alongside the roads.
If the supervisors are so worried about the health of county children then they should be putting a stop to the lead pollution from their general aviation airports.
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/aviation.htm
I offer a different perspective than the SJI opinions I have read on this issue: While I agree that parents ultimately should be held accountable for their child’s nutrition, the sad fact is that many families cannot afford good, nutritious, fresh food. When a family has to decide between eating a full (fast food) “meal” or buying fresh produce, often times the fast food wins out; more for the money. (Check out the movie Food, Inc. which makes a very good case for this.)
Because our electeds are responsible for the oversight and running of cities, counties and ultimately our communities, I am glad they are aware of the rising obesity and (preventative) diseases that go hand in hand with poor nutrition (examples: diabetes, heart disease, gum disease, etc.) and I hope they will continue to encourage the community to take action. Yes, there are myriad problems in government which should get their time and attention, absolutely. AND I want them looking long term at the public health as a good, preventative measure.
One area I very much agree with Nora Campos (who is running for State Assembly) is her concern about equal access to good, wholesome, nutritious food for all communities.
Last, I think it’s important to point out that children’s health and welfare are primary reasons that proactive, public safety services like libraries, pools, parks, and community centers MUST stay open and operational. Our electeds on the San Jose City Council need to come up with collaborative, creative ways to ensure this happens for everyone’s sake. Exercise and learning must continue to be part of a child’s (and adult’s!) daily regimen for healthy living.
Tina Morrill
Chair, Friends of Ryland Pool
Library Commissioner
> Because our electeds are responsible for the oversight and running of cities, counties and ultimately our communities, I am glad they are aware of the rising obesity and (preventative) diseases that go hand in hand with poor nutrition (examples: diabetes, heart disease, gum disease, etc.) and I hope they will continue to encourage the community to take action.
Tina:
I’m going to put you in charge of ensuring that YOUR children do not receive any toys in their happy meals.
I’ll take charge of MY children, and personnaly assess the suitability and propriety of toys that are found in THEIR happy meals.
If you would like, I will support legislation which would allow you to declare yourself and your children to be Wards of the State and authorize the government to assess you a children nutrition supervision fee so that the government can properly manage the feeding of your children.
The flaw in your thought process is that your choices affect more than you and your children. If you choose to let your children slowly kill themselves with unhealthy foods, their medical costs start draining the system. If you and your children were simply self-contained units that would require no services (medical or otherwise) then knock yourself out and do whatever you want without the big, bad, government trying to lower costs and keep people healthier. When you can do that then your thought process will make sense.
> The flaw in your thought process is that your choices affect more than you and your children.
The flaw in your thought process, Doc, is that you think that you and the government are smarter than everyone else.
Our culture and our society are FOUNDED on the proposition that people have free will and are INDIVIDUALLY responsible for their actions.
If you or anyone else wants the government to make choices that affect them or their children, then they should surrender their right to vote and become wards of the state.
> If you choose to let your children slowly kill themselves with unhealthy foods, their medical costs start draining the system.
And if YOU make politically stupid decisions and empower authoritarian politicians who impose “healthcare systems” that deny medical treatments to old people because their medical costs will drain the system, how is your thought process any less flawed?
Good response. I almost took it seriously, but then I realized it is April 1. Post your real response tomorrow and then I’ll respond. Thanks for the laughs, though.
> Good response. I almost took it seriously, but then I realized it is April 1. Post your real response tomorrow and then I’ll respond. Thanks for the laughs, though.
Yuk it up, quack.
My response is still going to be the same on April 2.
And you’ll still be just as hopelessly obtuse as you are today. I’m sorry, I can’t fix you. You’ll just have to live with yourself.
I need toys.
Pete Campbell sayeth:
> Our society makes too many excuses for too many people. It’s a sad day really, when the government feels both the right and obligation to get involved at such a detailed level as this. In the end, we don’t need more government…we need better parenting.
Yup.
There ought to be a law that says that people who want to procreate need to be responsible enough to raise children and have some sort of license from the state.
Oh. I forgot. There already is.
It’s called a “Marriage License”.
Higgs, you hit it right on. My wife Jenny and I are from Iowa, and we had a wonderful summer wedding last year. We would never take little Jeffrey to McDonald’s unless it was a special occasion, and even then we get the Happy Meal with the carrot sticks.
You really believe a marriage license indicates someone is responsible enough to raise children? Wow, it must be cool in your fantasy world. Out here in the real world there are many people with marriage licenses that aren’t responsible enough to have a pet let alone a child. If only it were true, what a wonderful world it would be.
I hope you were just foolin’ since it is April 1st. If not, then maybe you should sign your name “Dee Lusional” instead of Boson.
> You really believe a marriage license indicates someone is responsible enough to raise children?
1. ) If you haven’t already done so, get yourself sterilized immediately.
2. ) If, by some tragic occurrence, you already have children, put them up for adoption immediately.
If a marriage license doesn’t mean anything to you and the zillions of child-narcissists like you, the problem isn’t the marriage license, it’s you.
If a marriage license doesn’t indicate that someone is responsible enough to raise children, then what does? The fact that you know how to operate your sex pistol?
Sorry, a single mother, child support, and a social worker are not enough to raise children.
Children deserve better. Children deserve a LOT better. Children deserve serious committed parenting, and the Hollywood/Hugh Hefner/Britney Spears model of parenting is extremely toxic and destructive to children.
> Apparently you were unable to comprehend what I posted since your response has little to do with what I said.
Just trying to help you out, O.
Apparently YOU were unable to comprehend what YOU posted.
You think that kids are supposed to raise themselves, and the only commitment that parents need is to have fun with their sex pistols and get in touch with their inner narcissist.
I get it. You don’t.
I’m trying to raise awareness about a PROBLEM. You’re satisfied to IGNORE the problem.
Buy something nice for yourself.
> I had the best wedding last weekend at the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel! Elvis presided over the ceremony and everything! I mean, I just met the guy and he kind of smelled funny, but he seemed nice enough and we both want kids which is good.
Following in the family tradition, I see.
> I’m sure I’ll make a perfect mother. I have the license to prove it! Don’t you agree, Higgs?
I agree that you’ll probably turn out just like one of your Daddys. If you’re lucky, it’ll be the one in the medium security prison and not one of the lizards in the Q.
And your poor, pathetic children will grow up in juvenile hall, get free Obamacare for their venereal diseases until age 26, and vote for Obama.
I had the best wedding last weekend at the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel! Elvis presided over the ceremony and everything! I mean, I just met the guy and he kind of smelled funny, but he seemed nice enough and we both want kids which is good. I’m sure I’ll make a perfect mother. I have the license to prove it! Don’t you agree, Higgs?
Not too sharp, are we Higgs? That went right over your head.
Child-narcissists? Apparently you were unable to comprehend what I posted since your response has little to do with what I said.
I’ll leave it at that. Next time I will try and include pictures to help you better understand.
Ken Yeager’s a busy guy. When he’s not waging happy meal jihad – he’s also a global warming fanatico.
You’re sure to get a leg tingle when the narrator mentions that 1 billion dollars will be spent on bike lanes in the bay area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUUdWVLZuV0
Happy meals and bike lanes are surely the ticket to pull Cali out of it’s miasma.
> Ken Yeager’s a busy guy. When he’s not waging happy meal jihad – he’s also a global warming fanatico.
Wow! An authentic ignorance exhibitionist. If he had any dignity he would wear a burka.
Who says public schools aren’t failing.