EckerNet.Com

You name it, social engineering has probably touched it, often to disastrous (and expensive) results. From transportation to smoking to housing patterns, governments across our great nation have attempted to try their hand at social engineering…ignoring the fact that it has yielded positive results…..well, nowhere, and often to great expense of the US taxpayers. But fresh off their “victories” over Big Tobacco, the eternal Crusaders of “Everything Is Our Business”, have set their eyes on “Big Fat”. This is, of course, no surprise to anyone that’s paid attention lately. “Trans Fat” legislation should be enough of an indication of that.

At first they just wanted to dictate what you could order…leading to the comical combinations of greasy burgers, soda, and extra large fries….but cooked in non-Trans Fat. But now, not satisfied with dictating what citizens can order off the menus of restaurants, they are not intent on deciding which restaurant you get to go to to begin with.

Amid worries of an obesity epidemic and its related illnesses, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, Los Angeles officials, among others around the country, are proposing to limit new fast-food restaurants — a tactic that could be called health zoning.

The City Council will be asked this fall to consider an up to two-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A., a part of the city where fast food is at least as much a practicality as a preference.

Now if it wasn’t so ridiculous, it might even be a little amusing to watch the little phrases they make up to camouflage their agendas. “Health Zoning“?? Seriously, what? In a fair world, they would be called “You’ll Eat Where We Tell You And Like It” Zones. But then again, as I learned at the tender age of two over a plate of green beans, the world isn’t fair. It is slightly ironic, however, that the ideology that most needs to be reminded of that is the ideology that most exploits that fact.

But what really got me is the idiocy of those behind such movements, such as…

The people don’t want them, but when they don’t have any other options, they may gravitate to what’s there,” said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who proposed the ordinance in June, and whose district includes portions of South L.A. that would be affected by the plan.

My dear Jan, how did a person of your dubious intellect ever achieve the position of Councilwoman. Clearly, South L.A. is hurting for qualified leaders.

If the people didn’t want them, they wouldn’t be there. Unlike government, businesses have to deal with Supply Vs Demand. See, for a business, if there isn’t a demand for their supplied product, they go out of business. I understand your confusion as the same doesn’t apply for government. You supply whatever you damn well please, and then demand more taxes from us to pay for it, regardless of whether we want your supply or not.

The “they don’t have other options” doesn’t hold much water either. It’s not like these restaurants were miracled there at the dawn of time. Although the idea of Chief Sizzling Fry managing a Denny’s, and serving up a value meal to Lewis & Clark, is sort of an amusing thought.

There was a demand for the first one, and it came. It stayed busy, clearly there was a market to be tapped. So another was built. Both stayed very busy. So another and you should be seeing a trend here. People don’t go to restaurants because they are being forced to.

Regardless of what you may think, they do have other options. Home stands out as one. Visiting a restaurant in another area is another. Starving is of course another option. But just because you don’t like the options, doesn’t mean they don’t have options.

For example, I grew up in what at the time was a small, and still relatively rural suburban city of Champlin, MN. Our city was too small to warrant much attention from….well, anything. Our “commercial district” was a strip-mall with a Snyders and a small grocery store at either end. We had no restaurants, we only had fast food. I worked at probably the most upscale restaurant in the town….a Little Caesars. If that didn’t suit your fancy we also sported a McDonalds and…..well, that about covers it.

If my family didn’t feel like cooking at home, and wanted a break from the endless supply of “mistake” pizzas I brought home, according to you we had “no options”. Did we “gravitate” towards the McDonalds??? No. We got in the family station wagon/van/car and drove to a family restaurant in a nearby city. Jumping Jesus On A Pogo Stick Batman!! You mean we had options?!?! Yes, we surely did.

Fortunately, for Champlin, this was before Social Engineering had really become popular. Eventually the city grew, we got a second McDonalds, another pizza place, a Dairy Queen, two more pizza places (we like our pizza apparently). However, then a funny thing happened. People were unhappy with the selection of restaurants and the free market took over. Why what’s this?!? Family restaurants?? In Champlin? Well yes, you see there was this Demand thingie, which brought a Supply thingie, which allowed this Option thingy, which apparently eliminated this Gravitation thingie. Lots of thingies in Champlin….I suspect that’s why the city grew.

And grew it did, we now have corporate offices, a movie theater, warehouses, factories, retirement communities, and Holy Mother Of Pearl….two friggin highways!??!?

You see, Jan Perry, it’s called an economy. Supply vs Demand. If there is a demand for something it’ll happen….if you stop messing with the works. If there isn’t a demand for something, it will die a miserable failure and your taxpayers will be out lots of money….not that you care.

I suspect this Fast-Food Mecca you’ve created is due to things other than “lack of options”. And I suspect I know the reason, and I suspect if you stop with the social engineering it’ll fix itself. Not that I expect you to listen to me. However, if you want more advice, I’m gonna go gravitate towards a Chipotle now.