Bloomberg, Do What I Say, Not What I Eat

The Mayor wants us all to be health-conscious, so much so that he instituted a ban on trans-fats in New York City. He pissed off plenty of bakers and anti-health nuts in that campaign and now, against our will, we might live a little longer thanks to healthier hearts. You would think that Bloomie might follow his own advice, but then you'd be wrong.

From Newsday:

After gaining national media attention for spearheading an almost total ban on trans fats in city restaurants starting last July, Bloomberg was photographed in this month's issue of Wired magazine munching on those very same dangerous fats.

The photo, which accompanies a short Q&A about technology and politics, features Bloomberg at his City Hall desk, looking thoughtful and serious. Meanwhile, his right hand is seen almost absent-mindedly pulling a Cheez-It out of a single-serving bag of the crackers.

The reader can only assume that the baked snack cracker is headed for the mayor's mouth, and along with it some of the half-gram of trans fat found in every serving of Cheez-Its.

I've got nothing against Cheez-Its, once in a while that fatty yet crisp cracker is a great little treat. Apparently Bloomberg is a fan too, and thats all good, but don't try to tell the rest of the city how to eat unless you are ready to swallow the deal yourself.

A Trans-Fat Lobbyist

Whenever there is a good cause to help people in their daily lives from the evils of consumerism, you can almost always find a lobbyist that is fighting for the particular industry that might lose revenue from pertinent legislation. New York City led the way last year by passing a ban on trans-fats. Lard companies in the tri-state areas must have been furious. Bakeries were dismayed. Cardiac surgeons were....well, lets not go there, but you get my point. So there has to be someone that tries to defend trans-fats, and guess what, there is.

From RawStory:

60 Minutes reported Sunday on "Dr. Evil," the nickname of lobbyist Rick Berman, who specializes in defending all the products others decry as unhealthy and destructive. Berman, who sees himself as a defender of personal freedom against the "nanny state," told CBS, "Businesses themselves don't find it convenient to take on causes that don't seem politically incorrect and I'm not afraid to do that."

60 Minutes showed an ad produced by Berman's ConsumerFreedom.com, decrying the "food police" who tell you what you can or can't eat. Berman's favorite targets also include animal rights activists, trial lawyers, and union leaders. Berman does not reveal his clients, who are alleged to include numerous fast food restaurant chains and junk food manufacturers, but relies instead on a "clever system of non-profit educational entities," including the Center for Consumer Freedom and the Center for Union Facts.

"While those tactics have made him rich and powerful, it's difficult to find someone who provokes as much venom as Rick Berman," CBS reported. There are many sites online dedicated to countering Berman's claims and exposing the corporate interests behind him, such as ConsumerDeception.com and PRWatch.

It just goes to show that in corporate America, there is a job for anyone who wants to play in the cesspool of lies and deception.