New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on large-size sodas gave newspaper editorial cartoonists and talk show hosts a field day on Friday and over the weekend, observes Grumpy Editor.
Bloomberg’s idea ran into a hornets nest.
Look for it to get another round of heavy print/broadcast coverage when his proposal is introduced at a June 12 New York City Board of Health meeting.
Apparently the mayor --- an independent for five years, after switching from Republican for six years after being a Democrat --- feels Gotham has no problems with crime, potholes, traffic, Wall Street or New Yorkers departing the tax-heavy area.
So citing the measure as a health issue, Bloomberg is turning his focus to curbing large containers of bubbly beverages like Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Canada Dry and Mountain Dew.
His “Big Gulp” proposal bans sugary sodas larger than 16 ounces in most restaurants, theaters, delis and vending carts. It could take effect as early as March.
But milk shakes are okay with Bloomberg.
Editorial cartoonists, seeing it as something fresh to tackle, immediately jumped on the mayor.
Among the first editorial cartoonists to spotlight the Big Gulp situation: Jimmy Margulies who draws for the Record in Hackensack, N.J.
His syndicated cartoon shows a King Kong-like character atop a skyscraper much like the Empire State building.
The giant ape is holding a super-size beverage container with a long straw as a fleet of aircraft approach. From one plane is the message, “You can stay. It’s the soda we’re after…”
With broadcast media, Sean Hannity, for example, on his Friday night program on Fox News channel sipped from and waved his large beverage container at TV cameras while discussing events of the day.
Chatter on Bloomberg’s soda ban spilled over to Sunday talk shows.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola smacked the mayor’s proposal in a statement, “New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this.”
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