The Modern Liberal Bureaucrat

Kevin Glass | March 23, 2011 8:52 PM

Does this sound like a real administrator, or a parody of an Orwellian government planner?

"In order to force choice into the market, we have to limit one choice that's overconcentrated."

"We might discourage businesspeople from going into a certain type of business."

"I don't think we can make the argument of unemployment over public health."

"You have to train people as to what may be beneficial to them."

Well, it's a real guy. Meet Bernard Parks, Los Angeles councilman and advocate of banning new fast food restaurants in certain areas of LA. He thinks that nefarious fast food enterprises are moving into his neighborhood and flourishing, and that somehow, even though they're flourishing, most people don't want them there!

Here's the truth: the fast food restaurants do well because people like them. Parks complains that you shouldn't be able to set up a new fast food restaurant when there are already three on neighboring streetcorners. Well of course you should be able to! And if people don't want you there, they won't come to your restaurant, you'll lose money and close. That's not how it's working in District 8, which he represents. The fast food enterprises are successful because people like them.

Oh, and another note: there are actually fewer fast food restaurants per capita in District 8 than there are in the rest of Los Angeles.

Everything above comes via ReasonTV's newest video, in which they make Bernard Parks look like a buffoon.