New York City Commis, er Mayor, Michael Bloomberg Bans Food Donations to Homeless

[Mr.TaterSalad]

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s food police have struck again!

Outlawed are food donations to homeless shelters because the city can’t assess their salt, fat and fiber content, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

Glenn Richter arrived at a West Side synagogue on Monday to collect surplus bagels — fresh nutritious bagels — to donate to the poor. However, under a new edict from Bloomberg’s food police he can no longer donate the food to city homeless shelters.

It’s the “no bagels for you” edict.

“I can’t give you something that’s a supplement to the food you already have? Sorry that’s wrong,” Richter said.

Richter has been collecting food from places like the Ohav Zedek synagogue and bringing it to homeless shelters for more than 20 years, but recently his donation, including a “cholent” or carrot stew, was turned away because the Bloomberg administration wants to monitor the salt, fat and fiber eaten by the homeless.

Richter said he was stunned. He said his family has eaten the same food forever and flourished.

“My father lived to 97; my grandfather lived to 97, and they all enjoyed it and somehow we’re being told that this is no good and I think there is a degree of management that becomes micromanagement and when you cross that line simply what you’re doing is wrong,” Richter said.

But Mayor Bloomberg, a salt-aholic himself, was unapologetic.

“For the things that we run because of all sorts of safety reasons, we just have a policy it is my understanding of not taking donations,” Bloomberg said.

Told that his administration recently enacted the policy, the mayor was Grinch-like.

“If they did in the past they shouldn’t have done it and we shouldn’t have accepted it,” Bloomberg said.

Richter said that over the years he’s delivered more than two tons of food to the homeless. He said Mayor Bloomberg is eating away at his ability to do good.

The ban on food donations was made by an inter-agency task force that includes the departments of Health and Homeless Services.

This guy is really unbelievable. Now we're monitoring the sodium content of people whose main problem is not getting enough to eat period? Don't bother working to solve the problem, instead make a secondary problem where there isn't one yet and solve that one. I hope these people throw out the real bum in New York City come election time.

[ROMAD1]

Source



This guy is really unbelievable. Now we're monitoring the sodium content of people whose main problem is not getting enough to eat period? Don't bother working to solve the problem, instead make a secondary problem where there isn't one yet and solve that one. I hope these people throw out the real bum in New York City come election time.

People love the nanny state. The election proves that.

[hueytaxi]

If Georgia had any grapefruits they would have charged him with illegal weapons trafficking a few years back. It would never stick even though his exploit was a clear violation of strawman purchasing across state lines. The egomaniac is out of control.

[rhino]

That story is 8 months old. How about some follow up research? Was there a story behind the story? Is this policy still in effect? Is Bloomberg turning away food donations for the victims of Sandy?

Call me skeptical.

[Melody]

Googled it. Evidently the ban is still in place, but from the start applies only to city-run shelters. Speculated, but no official word, that this would also apply to city run shelters for Sandy.

So send your food donations to churches and private organizations.

[ben9753]

Bloomberg is a self worshipping *******. I hope he dies of a heart attack.

[monkeynuts]

Bloomberg is a self worshipping *******. I hope he dies of a heart attack.

Take a chill pill, brother.

[sinister porpoise]

Outlawed are food donations to homeless shelters because the city can’t assess their salt, fat and fiber content, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

If I were to stop at a NYC homeless shelter intending to donate canned Campbell's chicken noodle soup, would they accept? I read the article as suggesting they would not accept even with the label stating salt, fat and fiber content. So why does the report specify this one factor as being most important?

Bloomberg is much more general than to focus on salt, fat and fiber

“For the things that we run because of all sorts of safety reasons, we just have a policy it is my understanding of not taking donations,” Bloomberg said.

[RedRamage]

I'm certainly no fan of Bloomberg, but to plays devil's advocate a little bit here... Is it really a stretch to imagine that some time in the future a person who took accepted food from a city shelter might later sue the city for providing him or her or his or her children with food which contributed to a health problem later?

[Melody]

All I know is that the Coney Island and Staten Island residents were sure glad to see churches, the occupy NY group, and various other people and groups of good will show up with canned goods, sandwiches, and the like. Evidently the city, red cross, and fema haven't been of much use to them.

[mtutiger]

Evidently the city, red cross, and fema haven't been of much use to them.

I'm failing to see anything in this thread that indicates that's evident of this.

[pyrotigers]

I'm failing to see anything in this thread that indicates that's evident of this.

Apparently you're not following the news very well.

Occupy Sandy Volunteer Sounds Alarm on ‘Humanitarian Crisis,’ Near-Complete Absence of Government Aid in Coney Island Projects. “Just three hours ago I was speaking with seniors for whom I was the first person they talked to since the storm. . . . People literally have no power, no food, no water, no bathrooms–they’re defecating in buckets. And there is no one to answer to for it.”

Noted conservative activists the Occupy Sandy group.

Bloomberg has been horrendous throughout this though. First he used ridiculously made up junk science to limit evacuations (a slow gradual surge rather than a tidal surge! wtf) and then it took him forever to back down over the marathon. All the while he rushed to politicize the event with more junk science about climate change instead of doing anything to help people. Took way too long to begin rationing. Under prepared to begin with. Joke. FEMA is useless as always, you're doing a heck of a job bloomie

[pfife]

Calling FEMA useless is ridiculous.