Stop the food poisoning epidemic!

[Universe Prince]

And in the "using government as a tool to help society" department we find a new story at washingtonpost.com about protecting the homeless:

Under a tough new Fairfax County policy, residents can no longer donate food prepared in their homes or a church kitchen -- be it a tuna casserole, sandwiches or even a batch of cookies -- unless the kitchen is approved by the county, health officials said yesterday.
   
They said the crackdown on home-cooked meals is aimed at preventing food poisoning among homeless people.

But it is infuriating operators of shelters for the homeless and leaders of a coalition of churches that provides shelter and meals to homeless people during the winter. They said the strict standards for food served in the shelters will make it more difficult to serve healthy, hot meals to homeless people. The enforcement also, they said, makes little sense.

Whole article at the other end of this link.

Never mind that there have been no outbreaks of food poisoning among the homeless, and never mind that many shelters that homeless people depend on during the cold months now have to be closed during that time this year. Yeah, they can't get food poisoning if they don't get any food. And the best part is, somewhere down the line someone is going to tell me about how shelters are overwhelmed and how we therefore need government to do something because the private charities just can't handle it.

I'd say more, but this story makes me angry.

[Lanya]

Get "prepared" to mean something slightly different, and we're good to go.
Someone sue them and get an injunction so this law won't take effect.  Then  tweak meaning of prepared.
Heck if Texans can get "checks" past their ethics board, some good lawyers and lawmakers could make "prepared" mean, say, the microwaving for 1 min. 20 sec. plus the addition of Saran Wrap.  All prepared!

(Yeah, makes me mad too.)

[Universe Prince]

I hope the solution is something that simple, Lanya, so that people can get back to helping the homeless.

[Amianthus]

I hope the solution is something that simple, Lanya, so that people can get back to helping the homeless.

Actually, that law is in place in many states. I know that Maryland and Minnesota both had similar laws. You could only donate prepackaged foods or foods prepared by a licensed and inspected food preparation facility. Our SCA group always had leftovers from our feasts and we would give them away to attendees or throw them away because we couldn't donate them to the various shelters.

[Plane]

In Georgia thre were always a few surplus Turkeys and Deer given to shelters and other charities during the hunting season.


Be sorry to see this end.

[_JS]

What makes you think that this is an ordinance with the single motive of preventing food poisoning?

My guess is that the government of Fairfax County is hoping that less handouts to the homeless will encourage them to find another local government's boundaries to emigrate into.

In Georgia thre were always a few surplus Turkeys and Deer given to shelters and other charities during the hunting season.

Be sorry to see this end.

You won't, this is only a Fairfax County policy.

[Amianthus]

In Georgia thre were always a few surplus Turkeys and Deer given to shelters and other charities during the hunting season.

This law won't end that practice. It only bans giving "processed" (ie "cooked") food to shelters. Packaged foods (canned stuff, etc) is allowed because it was processed - presumably - at a licensed and inspected facility.

[Universe Prince]

What makes you think that this is an ordinance with the single motive of preventing food poisoning?

My guess is that the government of Fairfax County is hoping that less handouts to the homeless will encourage them to find another local government's boundaries to emigrate into.

For some reason, that doesn't make me any less angry about it.

[Lanya]

What's funny (kind of) is that here in Ohio, there's a rule or law or custom:  If you see a dead deer on the road, in other words roadkill, you can call the Highway Patrol and ask for it. 
There's evidently a really long list of people who want deer.  My bro-in-law (bless his heart grrr), former patrolman, got ticked that some man called a lot asking if they had any roadkill deer.  When one got really smashed into the pavement, he made sure this man got a call.  I didn't think that was very nice.