Associated Press – July 25, 2006:
If you’re a cell phone using, goose liver eating, cigarette smoking, fast food loving person, Chicago might not be your kind of town.
In this city that once winked at Prohibition, members of the City Council are cracking down on behaviors they deem unhealthy, dangerous or just plain annoying. They’ve taken aim at everything from noisy street musicians to captive elephants to fatty foods like fried chicken and french fries.
“We have children getting killed by gang leaders and dope dealers,” an angry Mayor Richard M. Daley said when the foie gras ordinance passed. “We have real issues here in this city. And we’re dealing with foie gras? Let’s get some priorities.”
the trans fat and foi gras ordinances are a bit much, but I am 100% behind the requirement that cell-phone gabbers use a headset while driving. everytime I see someone driving like an a-hole, you know what else they’re also doing?
Headsets wont solve the problem. People are terrible drivers while talking on cellphones because their attention is given to the person on the other end of the line, not the other drivers around them. Using two hands doesn’t make you a better driver, paying attention does.
This may be silly, and let me post that no one is going to live forever. I’ll also post from experience that those last few years can be Hell for many that failed to take better care of themselves earlier in life. Too many younger people are expecting a pill or treatment to correct the damage they’re doing to their bodies. It may happen, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Funny thing — seems like many of the comments on this blog call for governmental involvement, control, or regulation of things.
Net Neutrality? Government must enforce it! Global Warming? Government must pass laws to stem rising temps! I could go on and on about this blog and it’s members love big government.
Well, just remember, the chickens do come home to roost, so to speak. Everybody’s got a different idea of what the government should regulate, and I’m sure to the goose lovers of the world, banning foie gras is more important than net neutrality.
Funny thing — seems like many of the comments on this blog call for governmental involvement, control, or regulation of things.
It’s called liberalism. Just laugh at it.
James: LOL!
Wow, I’m having a Demolition Man flashback. To the City Council I would say that smoking, unlike the other items on the list, affects everyone around the smoker. However, the other restrictions are personal decisions that only affect the individual. If eating a bag of shit is unhealthy, it is only unhealthy for the person doing the eating.
#5. Talk to some “pro-lifers” if you want to see what real government control would look like, and it ain’t liberalism. The Man is going to keep you on a feeding tube no matter what, ’cause Jesus wants you to stay out of the Kingdom of Heaven until HE kills you.
#2. Headsets are a good first step. If that does not make talking and yakking safer, then a total ban on cell phone use while driving.
Hey, if I’m not allowed to drive drunk ….
#4. You couldn’t be more on target.
As a group I’ve found that for a bunch of people who don’t want the government to have any personal information on them they sure as hell want that same government to make sure that they can’t as much as stump their toe.
Doug –
Why is it “government control” to honor the request of family members who are willing to care for someone who is incapacitated?
Sure, after the headset is already in your ear, it’s safer to talk than holding a phone up to your ear.
But putting the headset in your ear while you’re driving at the same time is another matter.
Every group wants the government to step in on their pet issues. The right wants to legislate behavior just as badly as the left does.
10. when the evidence shows that the person wants to be let go, yes it is “government control.” Having the government enforce the family’s wishes over that of the individual is still government control.
and I am not just talking Terry Schaivo here. google the Nancy Cruzan case, in which the State of Missouri actively fought the family’s efforts to have the tube removed. since the pro-lifers disregard the woman’s wishes in the abortion debate, why should they follow the family’s wishes in the right to die debate?
The only “evidence” that Terri Schiavo “wanted to be let go” was hearsay.
Anyway, I’ll take pro-lifers over Scientologists any time, any day.
Well, I live in Cook County so let me make some comments on this post.
1. The foie gras ban is based on how the stuff is produced. You don’t want to know and you don’t want to see it. Whether you approve or disapprove of the ban is at least partially dependent on just how far you think human beings should go in using animals for food. Illinois also has a meat packing plant that slaughters horses to produce food for human consumption. I think a lot of people who gafaw at the foie gras ban will get a little squeamish at the thought of killing National Velvet for steaks.
2. The trans fat ban. McDonalds, also an Illinois company, has been promising for four years to remove trans fats from its french fries. So far, nothing. AND they continue to do massive advertising directed toward children. So far the scientific evidence suggests that trans fats are very, very bad. Yes, we should all have self control and not put bad stuff in our mouths, but most of us have day jobs and don’t want to constantly worry about every ingredient in the food we eat. In this case regulation is good, and if you have always been able to refuse to purchase the Happy Meal for your toddler then you’re a better parent than I am.
3. The smoking ban. The US Surgeon General recently announced that there is NO safe level of second hand smoke.Smoke’em if you got’em but stay away from me.
A little more on regulation….
Today, July 26, the Chicago City Council is voting on an ordinance (a.k.a. Big Box Ordinance) that will require large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target to pay their employees a living wage ($10/hr plus $3/hour benefits). I think it’s a great idea to demand that HUGE corporations pay living wages. Right now my tax dollars subsidize Wal-Mart each time one of their employees has to take a child to the county hospital because they don’t have adequate health insurance.
The US Surgeon General recently announced that there is NO safe level of second hand smoke
What utter BS. Next they’ll ban campfires, too?
Talking to somone on a headset is a lot less distracting than having someone in the same car as me talk to me. So if we were to ban cell phones compleatly we need to also ban: CB radios, Pasangers (unless gagged or mute and hands tied to avoid sign language), eating, radios, cd players, mp3 players, tape players, 8 tracks……
I grew up in Chicago, can you say “political machine”?
I won’t even mention the party because they are both the same.
Control/Power/Taxes
To bad, I really like the City. (hate the weather) but like the city.
and the Hot Dogs, Deep Dish Pizza, and the Cubs.
“[cell phone] Headset’s wont solve the problem”
Does anyone else disagree with this?
There are several advantages to a headset: two hands are free, you can turn your head to look around easier, and your peripheral vision on one side isn’t blocked. Yeah, I’ve heard that studies show no difference, but my personal experience shows otherwise. This sounds more like denial along the lines of ‘cigarettes don’t cause cancer’.
14. Anything Terry said would be hearsay, since she was not present to testify.
15. I suspect it would be a closer call for me, but agreed. Fortunately, that is not a call we yet have to make.
cheers,
“Funny thing — seems like many of the comments on this blog call for governmental involvement, control, or regulation of things.”
Yeah, because we all know that spying on citizens, cavity searching little old ladies at airports, and arresting peaceful protesters are in no way a government intrusion into our lives!
Foie grass… It gives “stuffing the bird” a new meaning!
20, There are several advantages to a headset: two hands are free, you can turn your head to look around easier, and your peripheral vision on one side isn’t blocked. Yeah, I’ve heard that studies show no difference, but my personal experience shows otherwise.
Yup, and I bet you can drive just as well after a few beers too. Your personal experience is better then any scientific study any day.
#4, Funny thing — seems like many of the comments on this blog call for governmental involvement, control, or regulation of things.
We want to be protected from those things that will harm us. We do not want to be intruded upon by that which would jeopardize our privacy and security. So yes I want pollution regulations, safety regulations, and zoning restrictions. We don’t need to be put on a list “just because”, stopped by the police because our skin is a little darker, or have to carry around government issued personal identity cards.
The Government is there because they are US. We elect them. If they act contrary to what you believe, then vote for someone else next time. Let the representative know how you feel. Get involved. Just quit complaining about how self serving and crooked they are when you haven’t voted in 12 years.
#12…Smartalix…thank you….I agree with you 100%
It’s been so long since I have agreed with you I was starting to feel bad.
The newest studies done(not the ones paid for by the cellphone companies) are finally showing that cell phone use, by holding the phone or hands free, is as dangerous as drunk driving and is causing as many accidents.
The problem in the past was that most police departments weren’t reporting the figures on accident victims and if they were or weren’t using a cell phone, now most are.
I agree with the Foie Gras banning, it’s cruel to the goose. If a company has the means to eliminate trans-fats they should, and if it means raising your prices…do so.
As to a living wage….I agree, there should be one. But we regulate the crap out of big businesses and then cry when they depart for another country. In New York, McDonalds and White Castle pay theiir workers twice what they get in Chicago, Pittsburgh and other places because of the cost of living. Here in the Bay area, you can get a burger flipping job at IN and OUT burger for 9.50 an hour plus benifits.
Mr. Fusion, the people passing these bills think they are safety regulations too. Just look at Da Mayor’s post. Why are you drawing the line there?
Joshua,
I think many here believe I’m a flaming liberal, but in fact I’m a libertarian (leaning left, true). You know I’m not thrilled with the current administration and legislature, but I am also completely disgusted with what the Democrats are doing.
THe problem is that as we continue to fall down the hole of partisan politics, we take this great country along with us. I am in complete agreement with Washington on the subject of political parties.
#27…Smartalix….I’m not as much a Libertarian as you, I temper it with conservative ideas….but I agree with you as far as parties go….there is no difference anymore, but each side acts like there is and it is behind most of the problems we have and face daily.
The far left and the far right go at it like gangs fighting a turf war and those of us in the middle get drawn into it, no matter if we want to or not. I find myself more and more lately defending Republicans rather than Democrats……I am trying to figure out why…..lol
Maybe because I know that there will never be a real conservative party anymore but they come the closest to one(if only the neocons and right wing religious nuts would break away).
I try to follow the maxim of Ronald Reagan when he made the joke……that the scariest words in the English language are…..*I’m here to help you, I’m from the goverment*