Fizzle-Out: “Fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences”…

jerk

Just a day before NYC Nanny Mayor Bloomberg’s ban on sugary drinks over 16 ounces, a New York Supreme Court judge rules against him

A state judge on Monday stopped Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s administration from banning the sale of large sugary drinks at New York City restaurants and other venues, a major defeat for a mayor who has made public-health initiatives a cornerstone of his tenure.

The city is “enjoined and permanently restrained from implementing or enforcing the new regulations,” wrote New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling, blocking the rules one day before they would have taken effect. The city’s chief counsel, Michael Cardozo, pledged to quickly appeal the ruling.

In halting the drink rules, Judge Tingling noted that the incoming sugary drink regulations were “fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences” that would be difficult to enforce with consistency “even within a particular city block, much less the city as a whole.”

“The loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the stated purpose of the rule,” the judge wrote. (Read the full text of the ruling.)

Under a first-of-its-kind prohibition approved by the city Board of Health last year, establishments from restaurants to mobile food carts would have been prohibited from selling sugary drinks larger than 16 oz. After a three-month grace period, the city would have started fining violators $200 per sale.

The city rules, set to take effect on March 12, didn’t include convenience stores, such as 7-Elevens, and supermarkets, both of which are regulated by the state government.

In his ruling, Judge Tingling found the Board of Health’s mission is to protect New Yorkers by providing regulations that protect against diseases. Those powers, he argued, don’t include the authority to “limit or ban a legal item under the guise of ‘controlling chronic disease.’ ”

The board may supervise and regulate the city’s food supply when it affects public health, but the City Charter clearly outlines when such steps may be taken: According to Judge Tingling, the city must face imminent danger due to disease.

“That has not been demonstrated,” he wrote.

Read in full

Bloomy will appeal.

doc thompson (Radio personality Doc Thompson’s reaction.)

In other news, not discouraged by his big gulping smackdown today by the judge, Nanny Bloomberg plans to go after hot dogs and Kit Kats.

He demands they stop being made from dogs and cats…

1 thought on “Fizzle-Out: “Fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences”…”

  1. It’s like a very bad joke, but I don’t mean Bloomberg. As long as he gets to stay in office and carry on this way, the joke is the the city of New York. This isn’t cute or quaint; it’s an extremely insulting imposition and a serious lack of respect, and if New Yorkers don’t get that and take steps to end this disgraceful situation, they ARE a joke.

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