Mayor Gavin Newsom Vetoes San Francisco Ban On Happy Meal Toys

by Frances Martel | 9:03 am, November 13th, 2010

» 19 comments

Plastic children’s movie based toy fans, rejoice: Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco has vetoed the city’s controversial ban on putting toys in Happy Meals. “There are times when a city can go too far,” Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle as he vetoed the bill, citing among his reasons to do so both parents’ rights and the widespread public ridicule San Francisco faced over the law.

Defending the rights of parents, Newsom argued that inserting the government this much in the decisions of parents went “too far” despite the good intention of combating childhood obesity, and that there were likely more effective ways of achieving that goal. Also, this law is just embarrassing:

Newsom said his opposition is not just about policy, but also about reputation. The city already has been through the wringer nationally and internationally for its ban on plastic bags and a mandatory recycling law in which residents can get in trouble for not composting – ordinances the mayor supports. But Newsom said the toy ban, which has captured the attention of Jon Stewart, “Dr. Phil” and national headlines, goes too far.

“There’s a reason there’s not a TV station in this country that hasn’t candidly been mocking us,” Newsom said.

San Francisco Happy Meal lovers are not out of the woods yet, though: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is scheduling a vote to override the veto, and the first time around, the bill got enough support that, should the same vote count come in, they could override the veto. In the meantime, though, San Franciscan Happy Meal fans have a window to stock up on all the toys they can (which now, according to the McDonald’s website, are every child’s favorite giant robot brains.

Gavin Newsom, Happy Meal, Happy Meal Ban, McDonald's, San Francisco

The Lantern of Truth

im ted . Nooo ! mayer newman ! don’t let them overthrow your veto ! what next ? a cupcake ban ?
marcoesquondolas

credit where credit is due…usually Mayor Newsom acts more like Mayor McCheese but on this one he got it right
Moderate

“There are times when a city can go too far,”

And San Francisco usually leads the way. Mayor Gavin Newsom is afraid he would look as nutty as Nancy Pelosi.
Harry Flashman

Some more political transparency at work. Let’s see this for what it is:

Newsome, the rabid liberal, has his eye of higher statewide office. The ridicule this absurdity has brought on SF would have ben a stick in the spokes of his ambitions. He made himself look like the voice of reason with this veto.

This had nothing (or very little) to do with parents rights and a great deal to do with political expediency.
Seeing 2012 From My Window

If you live in a place where Gavin Newsome becomes the voice of sanity, it’s time to move.
disenlightened

Seeing 2012 From My Window said:
If you live in a place where Gavin Newsome becomes the voice of sanity, it’s time to move.

Amen.
felixw

You know your city has gone off the deep end when Gavin Newsom emerges as the voice of reason and common sense.
TeaPartyPatriot

For anyone not familiar with America’s epicenter of lunatic-left insanity, i.e. San Francisco, let me point out that about 90% of SF forms the district of crazy pelosi.
Probably NOT wrong

What ever Gavin Newsome’s reason, the little shit finally got
on right!
stoogedudes

Harry Flashman said:
Some more political transparency at work. Let’s see this for what it is: Newsome, the rabid liberal, has his eye of higher statewide office. The ridicule this absurdity has brought on SF would have ben a stick in the spokes of his ambitions. He made himself look like the voice of reason with this veto. This had nothing (or very little) to do with parents rights and a great deal to do with political expediency.

Let’s see.

A liberal does something good, so it has to be for political expediency and looking good.

A conservative does something good, well…it’s because conservatives are such good, decent people.

Got it.
am_underground

God, the playboy of SF must live in a bubble, he only now think SF is ridiculed because of their liberal lawmakers and judges. The boy needs to visit middle America and not just the west and east coast to see what people think of California and New York. Too bad NY, NY doesn’t wise up and kick little Bloomie in the pants send him packing. But I guess you always get what you pay for.
murf

Newsome has his eye on the governor’s seat. Pure political move, doesn’t want to be seen as too radical.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dave-Allen/100000077637523 bohratom

Finally someone in San Francisco at least has abit of a clue….
http://none pyrope

bohratom said:
Finally someone in San Francisco at least has abit of a clue….

Well said.
briancricketrakita

If we really cared about childhood obesity, we would subsidize crops that are healthy for people to eat instead of GMO corn and soybeans!!!
BeesBuzz

Gotta love San Francisco

The place that wants to legalize pot, but criminalize Happy Meals.

Is there something toxic in their water supply that causes such insanity?

Seriously.

Someone should look into why a relatively small area of the country has been afflicted with such abnormal brain function.

We may find the entire country has been mocking people who actually have no control over their dementia.
Nahu Tuk

A broken clock is right twice a day.
Cancon2

It isn’t a city, it is a very small little crazy country. I found plenty of people in my travels there, that have to live as quite conservatives. Apparently the PC crowd runs the place so completely that you can literally be out of a job speaking up or challenging the group think there.

I think they should ban cars there. Just do it already and set the bar for how the rest of the country, hell, the world should live. It’s coming.
hello11

I love this , So does My boyfriend.he is almost 11 years older than me.i met him on a hot place.
*Agelessbbw*.*com*. A’ ge is not a problem, It gives you a chance to meet your a’ ge g a’p matches. Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends
qeqe