Letter: Let market decide

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006 | 7:10 a.m.

I read with interest the Las Vegas Sun's Dec. 11 editorial on New York City's ban on trans fats used in cooking. As usual the question presented in your editorial is not the question at issue. Here, the government is once again actively engaged in dictating the constraints by which private business must abide. This is done without consideration to cost, private investment or the legality of the substance it intends to regulate.

Its effect is to tell private entrepreneurs how to run their business. At what point will this attitude of government knows best end? Would it not suffice to require the conspicuous placing of a notice - merely stating that, "Trans fats are used in cooking in this establishment. Eat at your own risk." - thereby allowing the customer to decide? How about this: "This establishment allows smoking. Enter at your own risk."

As a citizen of the United States, I expect freedom of choice. And, quite frankly, I do not want my government engaged in the business of trying to save me from myself. We are all adults here. Trying to protect those who cry the most or those who cry the loudest at the expense of a free market, which should be filled with choice (good or bad), is no way to run a country.

Let a free market decide these issues, merely requiring of its citizens informed choices. That should be the hallmark of government involvement. By the way, can we vote on a no perfume or cologne law? That stuff burns my eyes and makes my throat hoarse and by God I don't think I should have to move away from that toxic person sitting next to me, and ...

Lance Weil, Las Vegas