L.A.'s allegedly temporary ban on new fast food eateries in its poorest neighborhoods

[The Straight Story]

In 2008, we told you about L.A.'s allegedly temporary ban on new fast food eateries in its poorest neighborhoods:

In the impoversihed vocabulary of SoCal politics, it isn't a "ban," but rather a one-year "moratorium," which is the preferred method to introduce ever-stricter controls on what residents can do with their "private" property.

Fast forward to this month:

New stand-alone fast food restaurants have been banned from setting up shop in South Los Angeles, due to rising health concerns by the city council. <...>

"This is not an attempt to control people as to what they can put into their mouths. This is an attempt to diversify their food options," said councilmember Jan Perry.

Perry's new plan bans new so-called "stand alone" fast food restaurants opening within half a mile of existing restaurants.

I grew up 10 miles from what used to be called South-Central. My first (crappy!) job was at a McDonald's, one of roughly 5 trillion chain fast food joints within walking distance of my house. While it was crappy, it was a job, and it's how California high school kids learned about work and money in the 1980s. I cannot begin to tell you how infuriating each and every aspect of this story is to me.

http://reason.com/blog/2010/12/10/surprise-temporary-fast-food-b

[Angry Dragon]

1. Do it city wide if it is such a good thing

[Xithras]

2. You oppose zoning laws?

Communities have a right to determine what types of businesses they do, and do not, want within their borders. They also have a right to limit the number of those businesses that exist.

My childhood hometown passed an ordinance banning big-box stores like the Super WalMarts from opening up in the city limits. Advocates for the poor screamed bloody murder, because low cost supercenters make their dollars go further. They claimed that banning WalMart was an attack on the poor, and lowered their quality of life.

They were correct, of course, but the ban went into effect anyway. Why? Because certain types of businesses lower the quality of life of the entire community!

If you don't like it, vote them out. I suspect that most L.A. residents don't mind seeing fast food outlets curtailed.

[madinmaryland]

3. Yes, he does. He is a Libertarian.

Opposed to anything even remotely close to his so-called "nanny state" scenario.

[The Straight Story]

5. True I guess, if you call being pro-choice libertarian. Or using a label cause there is no argument

and, I didn't write the article, simply posted it for discussion.

I am all for a lot of regulations, some I am not. I tend to speak out against the ones I am not. Because, I am not for them. Seems to make some sense. Limiting choice in this case based on if a person is 'poor' is a problem to me. City is within it's rights to do it, but according to you if anyone bitches about a law they don't like they get labeled and you wander off without even trying to discuss whether or not it makes sense to implement such a law/regulation.

I don't think you are an anti-white person if you complain about bush while saying nice things about Obama. Don't want more money for the military? How I call you unpatriotic and someone who probably spits on military people and calls them baby killers?

We can play your games all day. I am against over intrusive laws, but not against all regulation. it has a place, sometimes it is right,sometimes wrong. Folks like you would probably allow the police to tape inside your house if it was best for the community and call everyone else a libertarian if they did not obey every edict out of the mouth of the government you worship so much.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. You consider Los Angeles a community?

I agree (to a point) with you, but LA is so large that to invoke community desires seems a little silly

[ipaint]

6. Micro manage the lives of the poor.

Authoritarians and conservatives love any excuse to judge, criticize and control those lowest on the income ladder. It defines who they are (closer to the top) and who they aren't (poor folk). People like this have no clue what community means.

How about they give vegetable stands and real supermarkets incentives to open in these neighborhoods so poor citizens can have the same choices as the comfortable middle class citizens.

[MilesColtrane]

7. Do that and all the people looking for a cheap, convenient meal will have left...

is something from the Mini Mart.

I guess a microwave burrito, bag of chips, and orange soda are so much better for them.

[Odin2005]

8. Watch out, the Nannies will attack you for using a Libertarian article.

"Safety" and "Health" are the buzzwords the Totalitarians use to control our lives.

[walldude]

9. "Diversify"

–verb (used with object)
1.to make diverse, as in form or character; give variety or diversity to; variegate.

2.to invest in different types of (securities, industries, etc.).

3.to produce different types of (manufactured products, crops, etc.).

Can someone please explain to me how taking away places to eat is an attempt to diversify?