tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26975600.post73466897860633794..comments2023-06-05T09:04:17.215-07:00Comments on Susan M. Lynn: Label me...http://www.blogger.com/profile/02992405281123081451noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26975600.post-65592228102035727802009-05-04T15:22:00.000-07:002009-05-04T15:22:00.000-07:00just another example of the condescending premise ...just another example of the condescending premise that people are to stupid to make good decisions for themselves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26975600.post-61828382881048721762009-05-04T13:13:00.000-07:002009-05-04T13:13:00.000-07:00This is a great blog entry and I agree with you 10...This is a great blog entry and I agree with you 100% on the food labeling issue. That said, I do understand your friend’s concern about local control. At first blush, it could be considered hypocritical to be sponsoring the state sovereignty resolution while simultaneously sponsoring legislation that overrides a decision made by Metro Nashville. I know many Democrats tried to make this point as it related to Republican-sponsored legislation preventing Shelby County from enacting a payroll tax. A true federalist, they’d say, wouldn’t support preemption and would allow local people to make decisions at the local level. Even if, as a conservative, you disagree with the decision or if it is bad for business. Cities have the right to make bad law, they’d say.<br /><br />It’s on that point our Republican legislators need to do a better job explaining why they have the authority to overrule bad law. The federal government was formed by the states. It is a bottom-up sort of empowerment. The relationship between the state and the counties/cities, however, is very different. Like you said, it is the state which legitimizes these entities (via charter) and thus preemption of a local ordinance is not inconsistent with federalism. In fact, that’s what our state constitution demands. Whenever a county/city wants to enact a new tax, for instance, it requires General Assembly approval via private act. When approving Metro Nashville’s charter, the state never intended to authorize so much regulatory power being given to the unelected Metro Board of Health. You would never tell a county/city what it had to do, only what it can’t do. You want to limit government. Thus, the reason for your bill. Explaining your position from this sort of philosophical standpoint will assuage the concerns some otherwise friendly critics have about your legislation. Remember, the rank and file are a little on edge about national Republicans having campaigned one way and governed another. It is natural they are going to be on heighted alert for it at the state level. Explaining your position on these terms might help to calm folks a bit. This is just my two cents, of course. Take it for whatever it’s worth.<br /><br />Thanks for everything that you’re doing… keep up the great work!Summer of Georgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26975600.post-11804462294622164872009-05-04T07:42:00.000-07:002009-05-04T07:42:00.000-07:00Which idiot, exactly, proposed this money-sucking ...Which idiot, exactly, proposed this money-sucking waste of my time?<br /><br />Have IQ's in the state legislature, and among the citizenry dropped sharply since I was a child?<br /><br />In the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that I'm overweight by 50 pounds or so. <br /><br />And like 99.9% of the rest of people who are too fat, I got that way by consuming more calories than I expended. Period. <br /><br />At some level, everyone knows this. Because we (most of us) studiously avoid reading the nutritional information on that box of Cheese-its. <br /><br />Labels will not change behavior.<br /><br />If you really wanted to do something about the obesity "epidemic" in Tennessee, GET RID OF TENNCARE! <br /><br />Get rid of all state-funded, state-mandated "group-rate" health insurance that spreads the cost.<br /><br />When health insurance companies are free to price their policies based on individual risk (just like auto insurance). Only then will behaviors change.Ron Joneshttp://www.jonesfamily.usnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26975600.post-11441768413394245302009-05-04T05:09:00.000-07:002009-05-04T05:09:00.000-07:00Thank You for your common sense approach to Menu L...Thank You for your common sense approach to Menu Labeling! If I may add my two cents worth about this ridiculous idea that may become law. <br /> With customers allowed to modify what ever item that they order, whether it be in a fast food or full service establishment, the idea of menu labeling becomes ridiculous! Besides, if calorie and fat counting is what drives you, then you likely have already done your research to know what you can or should not indulge yourself with, on thier menu. <br />All the added info will just make menus that much more difficult to read and even more difficult to understand, and as it relates to fast food places, make the drive thru's run even slower as customers sit thier and ponder fat gram counts! Another reason menu labeling is ridiculous is because, with every employee portioning food slightly dfferent from each other and from the perfect portions, all the counts that you may be watching will be useless! So why drive up the costs of food for a Labeling Process that will not do what folks intend it to do? You will not be provided accurate information that will prove helful!!!! At best, you will be provided a false sense of security that someone else is looking out for your well being. BTW, only you can and should be responsible for you own well being! I dont need my government making my personal decisions for me!chucknoreply@blogger.com