The Insignificance of Gavin Newsom’s Soda Ban

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21 Responses

  1. Jaybird says:

    Ironically, Coca-Cola was invented as a direct response to Prohibition.Report

  2. Mike Farmer says:

    So, you don’t think he should be called a nanny, busy body, do gooder goofball? I can’t believe we’re taking up so much space with Dr. Pepper controversy. I wonder if Rome was arguing about shit like this before it fell?Report

  3. Jason Kuznicki says:

    I adamantly and angrily oppose bans on vice items like clove cigarettes, but I think it’s eminently reasonable to raise revenue by taxing items that promote obesity and, in turn, raise the amount we spend on publicly subsidized healthcare.

    Don’t you see that the latter leads directly to justifications for the former?Report

  4. Bob says:

    “Like fireworks. Or pornographic videos. Or jeggings. Again, I don’t see any libertarian objection here whatsoever.”

    But wouldn’t libertarians object to all the prohibitions you list? Wouldn’t a libertarian say the folks in SF, or Anywhere USA , lack the power to restrict sales of fireworks, porn or jeggings?Report

    • Matthew Schmitz in reply to Bob says:

      @Bob,

      On public property? If they do, I think that’s silly.Report

      • Sam M in reply to Matthew Schmitz says:

        @Matthew Schmitz,

        This raises an interesting point about smoking bans. I am against them across the board. But it seems to me that they are MORE justifiable on streets and in parks than they would be in a bar or restaurant.

        Just curious: Would you support a TAX on clove cigarettes? Any tax? Five dollars a pack? Ten?

        Similarly, should we tax stuff like mountain climbing gear to offset the costs of the occasional but very costly rescue?Report

      • Bob in reply to Matthew Schmitz says:

        @Matthew Schmitz, I agree with you 10o percent. I wrote much the same thing as you in a comment on another thread. But they, libertarians, *are* upset with Newsom. They seem to see threats to the republic everywhere. All takings are “objectionable.”Report

    • Louis B. in reply to Bob says:

      Newsom has not banned soda. He is not taxing it. He’s acting well within his power as the elected representative of the citizens of San Francisco in saying that it will not be sold on city property. Report