Posted by
Jason on Thursday, March 13, 2008 3:48:20 PM
I often lament the fact that governments are getting into the habit of meddling in issues that are absolutely none of their concern. Take restaurants for example... Governments are trying and are sometimes succeeding in telling them if they can be smoking or non, what food they can and can't serve, what customers they can and can't serve, and now, how much toilet paper they must have in their restrooms!
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4.com) ? A proposed law currently making its way through the Florida legislature might help you with what can be an embarrassing problem. Here's the bottom line, the bill would be a mandate that all eating establishment must have enough toilet paper when you go into the restroom.
The only problem is the bill doesn't dictate how much toilet paper is "enough."
State Senator Victor Crist, a Republican from Tampa, felt the problem was so important, a law must be passed to protect the backsides of anyone in Florida. The measure will also try to regulate the cleanliness of restrooms in eating establishments.
Crist, says in the bill, restaurant inspectors, "should also check the restrooms along with the kitchens to make sure that basic cleanliness necessities are in place."
I don't mind with inspectors ensuring the cleanliness of restaurant kitchens. After all, patrons cannot tour the kitchen to find out for themselves, nor would we want them to! But we can find out pretty quickly if an establishment has a nasty bathroom or is lacking toilet paper.
Guess what... people don't go back! Capitalism wins! No need for arbitrary government regulations. Same goes for smoking or having healthier choices on the menu! Restaurant owners will make these decisions based on free market demands (i.e. if not enough people eat there because it's filled with smoke, the owner will ban smoking to attract more customers). It's much easier and doesn't waste tax dollars enforcing arbitrary rules.
Government needs to just butt out and let free people make free decisions in a free market!