Mayor’s Scientific Thin Skin

It seems that Mayor Mike doesn’t really appreciate all the critics of his Nanny State policies-as the Observer reports:

“Mayor Michael Bloomberg often unveils controversial public health initiatives, and if you’re an op-ed columnist in one of the city’s newspapers, you can be rest assured that the mayor is not enthused with your critical piece on his proposal de jour.”

Bloomberg than puts forth the science card:

“The industries that make these products, whether they make full-sugared drinks or they make formula, they fund these columnists who write these crazy stories without any knowledge of the real science,” Mr. Bloomberg said John Gambling’s radio show this morning. “If you had real, respected doctors or public health officials writing them, it’d be one thing. But they’re always some crazy op-ed person who just says it.”

A number of thoughts come to mind reading the mayor’s comments. The first is that the mayor’s critics of his health initiatives are not coming at them from the point of view of health science-instead they are railing at him for trying to make government into a grotesque hall monitor of the behavior of free citizens. In the process, he is increasing the size and scope of government-an additional threat to liberty.

In our mind-and we credit Jonah Goldberg for the idea-fascism will not be ushered in here in America on the heels of storm troopers but on the smiling bromides of the health inspectors. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Fascism)

Secondly, as we have said many times, the health of local business is of equal importance as the health of the citizens-because a collapsing economy will, in the end, make us all sick. A final thought here is directed at the mayor’s use of science as a bludgeon.

We have seen with green carts and menus labeling-two policy ideas promoted as health measures-that the scientific underpinnings were never present to justify the promotion of these programs-and the results bear this observation out. The mayor is quite willing, when it suits his purposes, to claim scientific authority when none exists-so he should remain silent when his critics weigh in on the validity of his nest great idea.

As for the health experts themselves, let’s just say that their impartiality in the face of billions of philanthropic dollars is highly debatable-and their cheering on of the mayor is accompanied by one hand clapping. The other hand is as outstretched as a street corner beggar.

 

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