Once More Into The Breach
I don’t usually write a blog post on Friday. I’ve got an early class, and it’s my absolutely worst day on a number of levels.
But I heard this last night, and I can’t help myself.
Mayor Bloomberg and the same health department that tried to limit “sugary drinks” to no more than 16 ounces–unless they were from Starbucks or other places yuppies like to get their stuff–has now issued an order banning gifts of food to homeless shelters, because the city can’t monitor their salt and fat content beforehand.
So here are these people, living on the streets, eating out of garbage cans, mentally ill or addicted or whatever–and Mayor Bloomberg thinks their biggest problem is that they might get too much salt in a donated batch of bagels.
Or maybe Bloomberg and his people think that homeless people wouldn’t be homeless if they hadn’t done anything wrong, so they should be punished by only being allowed to eat tasteless, unappetizing food.
It would be interesting to find out whether some of them think they get better food dumpster diving.
This, by the way, is the real class warfare.
I’m going to go do something so that I can at least appear to be competent at eight o’clock.
5 Responses to 'Once More Into The Breach'
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The phrase “I heard this” triggers all sorts of warning bells in my mind.
Ignoring that, the order would rank high on a list of bureaucratic stupidities.
jd
9 Nov 12 at 5:01 pm
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/no_kugel_for_you_N4VuTrqavfOiApSHngxuMJ
http://tinyurl.com/8ybpzsn
http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/21/nyc-ban-on-unhealthy-food-at-homeless-shelters-irks-volunteers/
http://tinyurl.com/7gk69jt
Cheryl
9 Nov 12 at 5:35 pm
This is only confusing (or stupid) if you think it has anything to do with feeding the hungry. It has to do with exerting government control. From that perspective, private persons performing acts of charity, looking after family members or even going quietly about their own business are obstacles to be overcome.
Sadly, government actions make much more sense looked at from that perspective than they do if you’re diverted by thinking of the official missions.
robert_piepenbrink
9 Nov 12 at 5:38 pm
I sent some links, but they’re awaiting confirmation and anyway I can’t locate an online copy of the memo.
This is not unusual. Our hospital cafeterias no longer provide salt to the customers. So I brought my own supply. They have also made me, a never-smoker who hates the smell, sympathetic torwards smokers with their anti-smoking policy.
Nothing seems to remain constant, though. The security seem to spend more of their time solving, or at least calming, parking disputes instead of chasing smokers and all the food-supply places except the vending machines (and presumably patient food) is going through reduced hours and reduced (and not notably healthy) choiced prior to the whole business being contracted out to save money.
Cheryl
9 Nov 12 at 5:40 pm
Some years ago I had a bunch of surplus medical supplies. The DC charity medical centers wouldn’t take them, because supplies come from the government. Mind you, the same supplies were much appreciated by a charity medical center in Indiana. Cleary we in the heartland just aren’t getting with the coastal program.
robert_piepenbrink
9 Nov 12 at 7:56 pm