"Sugar, Sugar"

The expanded bottle law, sidetracked by an injunction last week, may be getting a little sweeter. Part of the legal challenge, one that was bolstered by the presence of environmentalist RFK on the lawsuit, was that it was inequitable to put a deposit on bottled water but leave the sugared water out.

So, as the song says:

"Sugar, pour a little sugar on it, honey
Pour a little sugar on it, baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah!
Pour a little sugar on it oh, yeah!"

At least it will, if yesterday's story in the NY Post is correct. The paper reports that prime bottle bill supporter, Senator Antoine Thompson is planning on adding the sugared waters to a revised bill: "The lawmaker also allowed that "we are rewriting the bottle bill to include Vitamin Water and all other waters with sugar in them. Nobody will be left out," he said. The bottle bill has faced stiff legal opposition from bottled-water manufacturers who claim the expense of changing packaging to comply with the law placed them at a disadvantage in the market. Following a court ruling in Manhattan on Friday, the new bill -- with Vitamin Water included -- looks set to go into effect next April 1."

Well, good luck Antoine-and get in line. The canning of the original bill will, in all likelihood, generate a feeding frenzy of clashing interests. And what emerges from all of this is any one's guess. But one thing is for sure-the bill will be sugar for these who represent the various impacted interests; a lobbyist full employment act if there was ever one. Which brings us back to the song referred to earlier. But, in this case, the "Candy Girl" is the expanded bottle law itself.