The World Around You

Chief Justice Roy Moore has lost his appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in a unanimous decision. I can’t wait to read the opinion, especially based on this excerpt:

`If we adopted his position, the chief justice would be free to adorn the walls of the Alabama Supreme Court’s courtroom with sectarian religious murals and have decidedly religious quotations painted above the bench,’ the three-judge panel said.

`Every government building could be topped with a cross, or a menorah, or a statue of Buddha, depending upon the views of the officials with authority over the premises.’

According to the Associated Press:

Kraft Foods Inc., the nation’s biggest food manufacturer, plans to review the nutrition of all its products and take steps including a cap on portion sizes and the elimination of in-school marketing to help fight obesity.

This announcement certainly raises suspicion in my mind. Why would a company who sells food want to sell less of it? The answer comes later in the article:

Kraft spokesman Michael Mudd said the 10-person panel to be assembled from international experts on behavior, nutrition, health and communications will determine the appropriate calorie content or other health standard for individually packaged foods — such as snack packs of Oreo cookies.

“Any existing products that are above that level will be reduced in size,” he said. “Any that are at or below will be just fine the way they are.”

Kraft is going to get credit for improving kids’ health AND improve their profit margin by putting less food in each individual package. That’s really what it is about. Isn’t capitalism great?

The obesity epidemic in this country is outrageous. It’s going to cost each and every citizen BIG for decades to come. Any effort to bring attention to the problem is good, but I don’t think getting less for the same price and lining the pockets of Kraft executives is the answer.

The Birmingham News editorial page does a commendable job of refuting the argument by many that the Governor has abandoned Republican principles.

Without a doubt, the federal government is too large and spending is out of control. But state government in Alabama never has approached even adequate funding of necessary services.

Riley’s plan attempts to do that, even as it takes a step toward tax fairness by actually lowering the amount many poor Alabama families would pay. The governor’s plan also would make state government more accountable, building on his efforts in the first six months in office that have resulted in taxpayer savings of more than $230 million.

By no means has Riley left the Republican Party. But some of its members definitely are leaving him and his plan for a better future for Alabama.