Thursday, March 11, 2010

Nanny State Watch

The new target in the slip slide into total state paternalism is salt:
Some New York City chefs and restaurant owners are taking aim at a bill introduced in the New York Legislature that, if passed, would ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking.

"No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises," the bill, A. 10129 , states in part.

The legislation, which Assemblyman Felix Ortiz , D-Brooklyn, introduced on March 5, would fine restaurants $1,000 for each violation.

This is madness, but it's no surprise. The crusade against personal liberty always begins with the obvious villains (tobacco and alcohol), moves on to more dubious ones (trans fats and sugar), and eventually reaches the point of sick farce.

It won't end with salt. How much longer until we see bills that mandate compulsory exercise, or a complete ban on processed food?

(HT Radley Balko)