Here is an interesting story from Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles City Council has approved a one-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in a low-income area of the city.

The moratorium unanimously approved Tuesday is a bid to attract restaurants that offer healthier food choices to residents in a 32-square-mile area of South Los Angeles.

Councilwoman Jan Perry says residents at five public meetings expressed concern with the proliferation of fast-food outlets in a community plagued by above-average rates of obesity.

Nearly three-quarters of the restaurants in South L.A. serve fast food. That’s a higher percentage than other parts of the city but the restaurant industry says the moratorium won’t help bring in alternatives.


So here is how I imagine the conversation at the Los Angeles City Council went:

Councilman Do-good: We have too many fat people here in L.A.; we need to do something about that.

Councilman Common Sense: Well, we can try some advertising or educational campaign, but we can't tell people what to eat.

Councilman Do-good: Like hell we can't!  We are the City Council!  We have ultimate power!  What are these lard-butts eating nowadays.

Councilman Common Sense: Um, it seems that they really like burgers and fries from fast food places.

Councilman Do-good: Fine.  We'll just get rid of all of the fast food places, then they will have no choice but to eat healthy.

Councilman Common Sense: What makes you think they will eat healthy?

Councilman Do-good: They have to, since burgers and fries will be wiped from the map.

Councilman Common Sense: The restaurant industry says it won't work.

Councilman Do-good: What do they know about people's eating habits?  If burgers and fries are not legally available, then no one will want them.

Councilman Common Sense: Yeah, we kinda tried that with drugs and that hasn't turned out so well either.  Besides, I don't think we can just close down private businesses.

Councilman Do-good: Hmm.  Well, we have to start somewhere.  Let's just use our power to stop new ones from opening up.  Later we can tax the existing ones out of existence.


Of course, my guess is that there was no Common Sense at the City Council meeting, or pretty much anywhere in California.