Fast Food Ban Coming to a Town Near You?

Uh-oh. Seems like New York City politicians can't help but see some of the publicity that LA is getting for its recent moratorium on fast food outlets (a topic discussed here with some frequency). What's lost in the mountain of fast food burgers and french fried potatoes are a couple facts...

1. The LA moratorium was prompted, at least in part, by the concerns of area residents who voiced their dismay at the staggering amount of fast food eateries (75% of the area's restaurant population). Staten Island NY Councilman James Oddo seems more concerned with his own pocketbook than the residents of his district when he tells a newspaper, "[If] there's a way to make them have a healthier lifestyle so I don't pay for it, I would be open to it."
2. These same areas in LA have a dearth of grocery stores leaving area residents with fewer options to buy ingredients to make healthy meals. I don't know if that's the case in the Queens and Staten Island areas being discussed in New York... I get the sneaking suspicion that this falls much closer to government legislation for the sake of government legislation and not a response to an area's real needs.