Attack of the Killer Potatoes
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued fast-food franchises and potato chip makers on August 26, 2005. General Lockyer (yes, that is the proper title) claims that the notorious California Proposition 65 requires the companies to inform their customers that French fries and potato chips contain higher levels of a suspected carcinogen, acrylamide, than other foods. The higher acrylamide levels allegedly result from frying the potatoes used to make fries and chips.

Is Winston missing something here?

First, while Winston likes fries and chips as much as the next dog (his human slips him some when no one is looking), Winston also knows that a steady diet of nothing but fries and chips is probably not good for him. Winston assumes the same is true for humans.

Are California humans so dumb that they need fast food labels to tell them this? Winston hopes not because if they are that dumb, then California has far greater problems than chips and fries.

Second, the problem, if there is one, comes from frying potatoes. Under General Lockyer's rationale, shouldn't grocery stores have to label their spuds? What about stores selling stoves, frying pans and cooking oil?

In sum, either California humans are stupid, or this law suit is. Winston is betting on the lawsuit. It should never have been filed. Now that it has been filed, it should terminated. Arnold, are you listening?