Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoes fast-food toy ban Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer Saturday, November 13, 2010 San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants to keep the happy in Happy Meals. As promised, Newsom vetoed on Friday legislation approved by the Board of Supervisors that would prohibit fast-food restaurants from giving away toys in kids meals sold in San Francisco unless they meet a strict set of nutritional standards of reduced calories, salt, fat and sugar, and also contain fruits and vegetables. Despite Newsom's opposition, the law may still end up on the books. The board passed it on an 8-3 vote Tuesday, the minimum needed to override a veto. An override vote has not been scheduled. The goal, say the legislative sponsors, is to use government regulation to help combat childhood obesity. Newsom called the intent laudable but imprudent. "There are times when a city can go too far. There's a time when we even cross the line," Newsom said. "Doing these types of toy bans is inappropriate, I don't think particularly effective, and I just think goes way too far in inserting government to try to be the decision-maker in someone's life as opposed to parents," the mayor said. Currently, none of the two dozen Happy Meals on McDonald's menu would meet the criteria dictated by San Francisco lawmakers. For starters, none of the combos meet the mandate that they contain at least a half-cup of fruit and three-quarters of a cup of vegetables. But even without that provision, only a handful of Happy Meals would be allowed. Most exceed the cap of 639 milligrams of sodium, some bust past the limit of 599 calories and others fail on multiple counts. The cheeseburger, fries and milk offering, for example, contains 640 calories and 1,060 milligrams of sodium. "We want to give restaurants an incentive to provide more healthy options, and the fast-food industry has to be held accountable," said Supervisor Eric Mar, chief sponsor of the legislation that was modeled after a similar law in Santa Clara County. McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant chain that has been the public face of the industry's criticism of the legislation, said Newsom's view is consistent with public opinion that parents - not the government - should decide what's right for their children. "We are encouraged by Mayor Newsom's decision to veto the toy-ban ordinance, regardless of the final outcome," said Danya Proud, spokeswoman for McDonald's USA. If the legislation becomes law, it may face a legal challenge. "The legality of this ordinance is an open question, but a final decision has not yet been made regarding a lawsuit," said Daniel Conway, director of public affairs for the California Restaurant Association. The restriction on toy giveaways would go into effect in December 2011. Newsom said his opposition is not just about policy, but also about reputation. The city already has been through the wringer nationally and internationally for its ban on plastic bags and a mandatory recycling law in which residents can get in trouble for not composting - ordinances the mayor supports. But Newsom said the toy ban, which has captured the attention of Jon Stewart, "Dr. Phil" and national headlines, goes too far. "There's a reason there's not a TV station in this country that hasn't candidly been mocking us," Newsom said. He said the issue overshadows the work the city has done to tackle childhood obesity through its Shape Up San Francisco program that promotes exercise and healthier eating with such initiatives as putting salad bars in elementary schools, removing sugary sodas from city vending machines and closing off streets on select Sundays for communal activities such as biking, tai chi and hula-hooping. Mar praised those efforts undertaken by the city. "I don't have anything bad to say about the mayor on this; he's done a lot for public health and to take on childhood obesity. It's just that on this legislation we disagree." http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/12/BAKL1GBDI5.DTL
Last I heard, if the toy ban went through MCD was going to offer Playstation 2 Cheats as free prizes in Happy Meals.
If congress and obama can design cars, why not let the Sf city council design menus? Is there any limit to what liberals can think up(ie mandate) for our benefit? Certainly they don't think so.
Not that I personally think such a ban is a good idea, but I have to ask you, is there any limit to what conservatives can think up for producing and marketing toxic waste to kids?