California Dreaming

Chicago Alderman Joe Moore (anti-foie gras, anti-Big Box) would love this. Moore hates freedom of choice just as much as the government of Cotati, California. They have ingeniously combined anti-free choice food laws with a weird form of anti-Big Box laws, resulting in yet another instance of the Nanny State running our lives. The city council of small-town Cotati, California, recently extended its ban on chain restaurants by six months, and is planning on implementing permanent restrictions on outside vendors in the next few weeks. You can take a look at the "arguments" for the ban (read: self-serving nonsense) in the council's March 28 minutes.... But before big-city legislators get inspired by their small-time counterparts, here’s a reminder: People choose to eat at chains....(Also: Chains are just mom-and-pop restaurants that got really popular.) And for people on fixed incomes who can't afford "local" gourmet fare, sometimes those chicken nuggets are just what the family pocketbook ordered. FULL ARTICLE...