Bloomberg Strikes Again: NYC Bans Food Donations To The Homeless

Has The Mayor Totally Eaten Away At The Public's Desire To Do Good?

March 19, 2012 8:33 PM

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (file / credit: Edward Reed / Mayor’s Office)

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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.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below …

Samantha

I don’t think you understand what socialism is.
Gabriel

You voted him in, now shut up and put up!

Commonsense

Ignorance is bliss. NOT EVERYONE VOTED HIM IN. Term limits were overturned. He should never have been allowed to run for a third term in the first place. Hipsters and the wealthy voted him in.
Cassie Vance

I didn’t vote for him. Even if I had, I certainly would not have approved of this crap! And I didn’t vote for the repeal of term limits either.

Amused but not misled

No one voted for repeal of term limits. The hypocrites gave it to themselves.

Disgusted

Remember Christine Quinn was who gave him the 3rd term opportunity – so when she runs for mayor herself – she has a lot to answer for.

erica

First of all, I love how they show a shot of Bloomberg eating a nice meal and wiping his mouth with a silk napkin during this video.

Second of all, I don’t think he deserves all the hate. He is quite rich, and therefore doesn’t see the troubles that homeless people have. Have you ever heard of the meme “First World Problems?” that’s what this is. He’s stuck in a first world mentality, when there are people in his city stuck in a near third-world situation.

He needs to come off his high horse, and see the people for their problems.

Thomas Payne

No, he knows exactly what he’s doing. Trying to force the homeless to go elsewhere. That’s his “first world mentality” at work.B

erica

Really? Which first world are you living in? Because the one I’m living in sure doesn’t try to hurt less lucky people. It is the work of ignorance.
Jen

This is exactly correct. It’s the same thing that Giulani did, but without the thugs.

Pam

IF he can’t get the right mentality he doesn’t deserve to be mayor. Money shouldn’t automatically get him in office. Unfortunately, these days it seems that that’s all it takes.

Angry

CITIZENS OF NEW YORK CITY CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND TELL THEM YOU WANT BLOOMBERG IMPEACHED NOW! Enough is enough. He has destroyed our city.

j

We actually did look into having him recalled because he was continuously going after my husband’s line of business for awhile. In NYC there is no way to recall a mayor so unfortunately we’re stuck with him no matter what. Which is how hes able to just do whatever he wants now. No one can recall him and after his third term nonsense hes not going to get a fourth that he has to coddle us for a reelection.

Lyn

The Bloomburger’s full of it, and says it all better than anyone can for himself.
Lou

Mr. Mayor, shame on you.

margo d

Certainly seems Mayor Bloomberg and/or his administration is completelyout of touch on this issue.

terri

Ideology – of ANY stripe – eventually hurts instead of helps. How about some common sense and wisdom?
aron pieman kay

mayor bloomberg is a shanda for the goyim…that runt is a disgrace to the jewish people!!! he may as well serve hitler and his minions better

GELT STIMPT

For starters, as a dietitian for the inmates at all the concentration camps.
artisanrox

Bloomberg = total treif

Ricky

chillul Hashem, true that.

Rhonda

I can not believe what I am reading…has he not read the physical health data regarding the homeless population? Eating Bagels are the least of their worries! It’s the mental illness, liver-kidney disease, Hep C and LACK of Health Care and Food that are killing them, just Being homelss takes 25 yrs off of their lives…get a clue man, better yet Get a Heart!
robbie

bloomberg is real a socialist and i predict he will change the law to try and run for a 4th term , he has so much wealth that he has nothing in common with any of us New Yorkers in the outer boroughs.
robbie

bloomberg plans to run again in 2013 for 16 years as mayor, bloomberg is out of touch with average New Yorkers, to wealthy to have any thing in common with us. he would rather people starve, plus his cops under kelly stormed into a young mans home in the bronx and murdered him why is not the press reminding him of this everday. he should ask the queen to appoint him governor of bermuda since that is where he belongs with his million dollar home down there

Governments Suppress Freedom

Where did you find out he wants to run again? If this is true, he needs to be stopped!

Joyce Careswell Gaglione

I can remember when I worked in corporations, and we’d have these big, lavish breakfast or lunch meetings. We’d call City Harvest to pick up all the untouched, extra sandwiches, bagels, fruit, whatever was all right to donate. The feedback was positive, and the recipients were grateful. What about God’s Love We Deliver, and their efforts to bring boxed meals to people who cannot leave their homes, due to severe illness? A little foresight could have preempted this obviously glaring mistake. Food without optimal nutrition standards is better than no food. It’s a no-brainer.
pat martin

Rich, pig, dictator thug.
B

Actually, many caterers will not allow you to take home “to-go” trays for same reason. Once the food leaves the original food handler, there is a liability. If it is not a sealed item, and is stored at the wrong temperature who is responsible. It is really sad but it is also a safety measure.

GELT STIMPT

But the homeless, are sealed fate joker
Amy

But bagels can be stored safely at room temperature. There’s not much risk involved…
Brock

the homeless service has been delivering food for years. They are not feeding bad food.
Dee

There is something called the Good Samaritan Law which absolves caterers or people donating of this responsibility.

Ibn Insha

That is what happens when we want government to help us, give us and hold our hand and guide us every step of the way. Now the government has become so big that it is found every where, even in our kitchens and bed rooms. It even tells us how to be generous or stop us from being generous. If we, the voters, don’t care of this problem now the future generations will face even more challenges from government and we will not be doing them any favor. The future generations will remember us as evil.

Thomas Payne

NYC government is not “THE government.” It’s a government. There are thousands of governments in America, as different from each other as night and day. This comment is ridiculous on its face and it leads to no solution to the problem, only ignorant bitching.

wootendw

Salt, especially iodized salt, is the leading source of iodine in the body. And iodine deficiency is the world’s leading cause of preventable mental retardation. Mr. Bloomberg is going to turn New York into a city of retards if he keeps trying to stop them from getting iodine via banning salt.
Traveler

It helps to reduce the homeless population..Starve them to deatrh is his goal. They cannot vote for him, so he doesn’t care. Just like Obummer
KATRICE BRYSON

HE WANTS TO BAN FOOD TO THE HOMELESS HE TOOK AWAY THE WORK ADVANAGE PROGRAM MY GOD BLOOMBERG HE BETTER WATCH HIS SELF BECAUSE CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME AFTER HIM! ALSO YEA THANKS BLOOMBERG FOR MESSING UP MY CHANCE OF KEEPING MY APARTMENT SINCE YOU TOOK TO PROGRAM AWAY YOUR DOING MORE HARM THEN GOOD AND THAT GOES FOR CUOMO TOO!!!!

Angie

If there is a God he needs to slap Bloomberg and his cronies upside the head and let them experience the same thing many of us deal with. Homelessness, starvation etc.

jeffstier

Thanks for covering the story – You read it here first- http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/no_kugel_for_you_N4VuTrqavfOiApSHngxuMJ
wombat1417

Just wait until he decides he wants a FOURTH term….
Ron

Where I live they just past a law that you can not give no food to the homeless unless you have a food permit, If you get caught it is up to a 10,000 dollar fine

Amy

That’s absurd! Can you take donations to a food bank at least?

sharon wolff

Oh good heavens. Mr Bloomberg, you are the Mayor of NYC. You are not the food police. Why are you preventing homeless people from eating food? Granted YOU Feel It Isn’t Healthy for them, which is nice. However Are You going to prepare a meal for them, or, maybe provide leftovers from one of your catered affairs? Mr Bloomberg, the gentleman that is providing the food is Doing a Mitzvah, (remember you are Jewish) is a Good Deed. Mr Bloomberg, unless these food donations are costing The City of NY any moeny, which it isn’t, do not prevent this. You are a Mayor, you need to support PC Kelly, enforce laws, protect the people of your city, Do Not Play Food Big Brother.
MAYOR MIKE IS A POS

PLEASE IF THERE IS A GOD STRIKE THIS MFER DEAD
John

What did Michael Bloomberg’s mother do to him to make him this way?
dtmck64

Bloomberg needs to go, he’s been Hizzoner too long and has become delusional…

So, a homeless person that probably eats out of garbage cans and dumpsters just for solid food, and maybe took in 600 calories in a week; and people who want to donate starches and vegetables can’t bcause of Dommberg’s food nazi’s? The guy has got to go…

Rocco

“Hizzoner” is the earned title of mayor Ed Koch and his alone. Bloomy is NOT Hizzonor. I wish people would stop throwing that title around. It belongs to Ed Koch.

Rhiannon

Uhh, actually that title started with Fiorella LGuardia.

steward

Actually, earlier than that. It was applied to James “Jimmy” Walker by Walter Winchell in 1928. It’s also been used in other cities for their mayors – it didn’t even start in NYC. (Source: OED)

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Bloomberg Strikes Again: NYC Bans Food Donations To The Homeless

Has The Mayor Totally Eaten Away At The Public's Desire To Do Good?

March 19, 2012 8:33 PM

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