Today is the one year anniversary of Chicago's foie gras ban so NPR did a story on it.
As a rule, I'm not a fan of laws and regulations which seek to micro manage behavior.
I have ranted about a Vermont law seeking to regulate behaviors behind the wheel and New York's paternalistic efforts to limit trans-fats. I haven't taken on Chicago's foie gras ban simply because I don't like the stuff so I don't really care if I can order it when I eat out. But I have enjoyed the various news stories about the lack of enforcement and restaurateurs thumbing their noses a la Prohibition.
So it was with some self deprecation that I noted my reaction to the end of today's NPR story. As they were listing all of the various invasive attempts sponsored by the architect of the foie gras ban, they mentioned an attempt to allow dogs to sit next to their owner's table at outdoor restaurants.
My mood immediately changed from derision to total acceptance. I could totally get behind a regulation like that. It's such a pain in the ass when we're walking around town at lunchtime in the summer with Ellie and we can't eat at a restaurant because of the silly health department rules that dogs aren't allowed in restaurants, including their outdoor patios. The outdoor seating at most restaurants in Aspen is frequented by all sorts of wildlife, including big, nasty, berry pooping bears.
And the health department is worried about Ellie?
photo credit
As a rule, I'm not a fan of laws and regulations which seek to micro manage behavior.
I have ranted about a Vermont law seeking to regulate behaviors behind the wheel and New York's paternalistic efforts to limit trans-fats. I haven't taken on Chicago's foie gras ban simply because I don't like the stuff so I don't really care if I can order it when I eat out. But I have enjoyed the various news stories about the lack of enforcement and restaurateurs thumbing their noses a la Prohibition.
So it was with some self deprecation that I noted my reaction to the end of today's NPR story. As they were listing all of the various invasive attempts sponsored by the architect of the foie gras ban, they mentioned an attempt to allow dogs to sit next to their owner's table at outdoor restaurants.
My mood immediately changed from derision to total acceptance. I could totally get behind a regulation like that. It's such a pain in the ass when we're walking around town at lunchtime in the summer with Ellie and we can't eat at a restaurant because of the silly health department rules that dogs aren't allowed in restaurants, including their outdoor patios. The outdoor seating at most restaurants in Aspen is frequented by all sorts of wildlife, including big, nasty, berry pooping bears.
And the health department is worried about Ellie?
photo credit
2 comments:
Did you take that picture? Did you see that bear?
No, a local photographer named Paul Conrad took that picture. But yes, I've seen that bear or its identical twin. The statistics here are staggering. There were something like 9 bears relocated in the last week and 7 bears euthanized.
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