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MarketWatch on Healthy SF: A Dollar Fee? You Gonna Eat That?

Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 10:38:13 AM


MarketWatch has a delightfully one-sided report on Healthy San Francisco. Our intrepid reporter gushes that restaurant owners are "dishing" the cost of the program out to customers by tacking on surcharges and then invites us to "call it health care a la carte!" Um, no thank you. The executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (which is contesting the legality of the program in court) Kevin Westlye, makes an appearance, as does John R. Graham , director of health care studies at the Pacific Research Institute who states authoritatively that we "can’t tax ourselves into good health." Also interviewed is some nameless woman who thinks that eating out is already too expensive. I bet she’s a great tipper. The only proponent of Healthy San Francisco is an unnamed customer who says he doesn’t mind forking over the extra buck. According to the East Bay Business Times, more organizations have been jumping onboard with the GGRA, including the National Association of Manufacturers and the California Chamber of Congress. The fight resumes on April 17, when the case returns to court.-Andy Wright

Category: Politics

2 Comments:

Seven says:

While I don't disagree with paying higher menu prices for health care, it should be flat out illegal for restaurants to tack 15% onto your meal AFTER you've already eaten.

Consumers have the right to know the cost of a purchase BEFORE they eat. Period.

Whatever says:

I just had an experience with the sur charge last week. It's dishonest and a ripoff. It pits the staff and their need for tip against the customer. If this as the right way to do it 0the bil would be broken out by costs and not menu items.
Not too mention the city and other agencies pay the bulk of the cost of the insurance and the restaurant owners are probably justbuilding up their fund to try an over turn low cost health insurance. I hope the weekly will post a list of the restaurants that now have the surcharge.

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