“We may be getting too close to Big Brother,” a “clearly bothered” Speaker Shelly Silver told the New York Post about Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s upcoming ban on large sodas at food establishments, but Mr. Bloomberg isn’t quite sure he’ll hold to that position.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen, I assume the governor would veto it so I’m not sure how much of that is made up,” Mr. Bloomberg said this morning on the possibility of Mr. Silver introducing legislation to thwart his soda ban plan.
“Shelly’s the kind of guy who really is trying to do what’s right,” he added, arguing Mr. Silver will see reason before abruptly switching to a philosophical defense of his own plan. “I think once he sits and looks at the issue and we get a chance to talk to him — he’s in favor of getting — It is government’s job not to ban things but to give you information and to sometimes keep you from using them.”
Mr. Bloomberg broadly cited restrictions on asbestos, regulations designed to limit salmonella, and, as usual, his smoking ban to contend that the new soda rule doesn’t really fit into “big brother” charges.
As the Post pointed out, however, legislation against the soda ban might not actually even be necessary for its critics. As Mr. Bloomberg is implementing this new policy through his administration rather than the City Council or State Legislature, the next mayor could simply undo his efforts in 2014 if desired. Many of the top candidates in the field have already expressed skepticism over the plan.
