13 Nov 2012 Project 21’s LeBon Calls for Common Sense Over Bloomberg’s Edible Edicts

As noted by the National Center’s Jeff Stier last week, the Bloomberg Administration’s New York City ban on most private donations of food to the needy remains in effect.

Is that wise, considering the state of the city?

Because city officials may not be able to assess the fat, fiber or salt content of donated foods, there’s a good chance that — as Jeff reported the Upper West Side Orthodox congregation found out last March — private acts of charity will be refused.

man holding a bowl in both hands, receiving a serving of soup from another man holding a soup ladle

This refusal of assistance is said to be enforced no matter how bad the homeless problem may get in city-run shelters and how bad things may still become in the wake of Hurricane Sandy’s walloping of the Big Apple.

As New Yorkers are found to be resorting to dumpster-diving to survive — subsisting on trash that likely has an indeterminate amount of salt, fat or fiber — Project 21 co-chairman Cherylyn Harley LeBon thinks common sense must be allowed to prevail over Bloomberg’s nanny-state predilections and edicts.

Cherylyn said:

Mayor Bloomberg strikes again.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy — with images of people dumpster-diving for food, cars floating down what were once major streets and homes being literally demolished by flooding — a warm, dry and well-fed Nanny Bloomberg once again seems to think he knows what is best for the citizens of Gotham.

Mayor Bloomberg already banned most private food donations to city homeless shelters because it’s said that the city cannot adequately gauge the salt and fat content of the donations.  It’s claimed city officials need to ensure that the homeless receive the highest levels of nutrition.

While this was an issue regarding the perennial homeless last March, it has re-surfaced recently due to Hurricane Sandy and the people who have been driven from their homes by the storm.  With thousands of people finding themselves displaced and the large amount of donations arriving from across the country, Bloomberg’s nanny state policies could literally take food from starving peoples’ mouths and send them to the trash in search of sustenance.

Now is the time to exercise some basic common sense.  I would hope that Nanny Bloomberg could — at least for just a bit — abandon his political correctness and put the very basic needs of food and the idea of a full belly above all.