LBReport.com

Opinion

LBREPORT.com Quick Response Re Councilwoman Price's Response To Constituent On "Meatless Mondays"


LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. Support independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.

(June 2, 2015, 12:30 p.m.) -- Earlier today, LBREPORT.com published in full a thoughtful response emailed to a constituent by Councilwoman Suzie Price, co-author with Councilmembers Austin and Gonzalez of a May 19 agendized item recommending that people not eat meat on "Meatless Mondays." To view it, click here.

We commend the Councilwoman for providing her constituent with a responsive response. It's not a robotic reply or a congestion of cliches. The Councilwoman took the time to compose her thoughts and her text honestly reflects her views.

That said, we respectfully disagree with her reasoning.

[Scroll down for further.]


In our view, it is a false analogy to compare Meatless Monday to resolutions that are [Price response] "voted on with bipartisan support regularly on national and local level to spread public awareness campaigns. We have as a nation, and as a City, approved a "Denim Day" resolution supporting wearing denim one day a year to support victims of sexual assault. We have approved "Red Dress" day to help encourage people getting more regular health screens in order to help lower heart disease."

There is no bipartisan or consensus support here; there is strong public disagreement and dissent from at least two Councilmembers (thus far.) Unlike sexual assaults and heart disease, on which there is obvious public consensus in opposition, there is strong disagreement and resentment over "Meatless Mondays." The City Council can't decree consensus; it must be built and accepted. If the Council chooses to pursue this resolution, it will only invite continued divisiveness.

"Meatless Monday" isn't legally mandatory, but it is economically coercive. In effect, it uses the name of the City of Long Beach to tell consumers not to patronize certain taxpaying Long Beach businesses one day a week unless those businesses do what they're told. It invites and shrugs economic costs for taxpaying businesses including the In-N-Out burger at 2nd/PCH (3rd dist.), and Dave's Burgers on Atlantic Ave...and Tommy's on Anaheim St. unless they comply and change their primary product.

Meatless Monday proponents sre free to use social networks and other advocacy means to convey their message...without using the legislative body of the City of Long Beach. If Councilwoman Price and her colleagues want to show up with picket signs next Monday outside the 2nd/PCH In-N-Out Burger, or other similar Long Beach businesses, we'll be there to photograph it...but we think it's wrong for Councilmembers to do basically the same thing from their elective perches in the City Council Chamber. .

We've previously stated other grounds for our opposition in our "Mighty Meaty Monday Manifesto." at this link.. The title is tongue-in-cheek but the Council voted actions that we cite with specificity -- and which we believe are inimical to promoting and protecting public health and safety -- are sadly accurate. We proposed a constructive process for addressing and beginning to correct the consequences of those voted actions. We look forward to discussing and debating measures to do so in the coming weeks and months.

Opinions expressed by LBREPORT.com, our contributors and/or our readers are not necessary those of our advertisers. We welcome our readers' comments/opinions 24/7 via Disqus, Facebook and moderate length letters and longer-form op-ed pieces submitted to us at mail@LBReport.com.

Further to follow.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Advertisement




blog comments powered by Disqus

Recommend LBREPORT.com to your Facebook friends:


Follow LBReport.com with:

Twitter

Facebook

RSS

Return To Front Page

Contact us: mail@LBReport.com







Adoptable pet of the week:






Carter Wood Floors
Hardwood Floor Specialists
Call (562) 422-2800 or (714) 836-7050


Copyright © 2015 LBReport.com, LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use/Legal policy, click here. Privacy Policy, click here