An Israeli lawmaker is hoping to butter up voters and pass a law that would limit outrageous popcorn prices at the movies.
Carmel Shama, from the governing Likud party, plans to bring the “popcorn law” for a vote when parliament returns from its Passover break next week, the Yediot Aharonot newspaper reported last week.
“We have to put an end to this. The public should not have to mortgage their houses for a soft drink and a snack,” Shama told the paper.
A large box of popcorn usually sells for about US$5 (NT$159) at theater concession stands, more than double what it costs at a supermarket and 10 times more than it would cost to make at home.
Shama said he had support from both the government and opposition lawmakers for the move that would put limits on what theaters and other public entertainment venues, like sports stadiums, could charge to captive audiences.
However, cinema owners slammed the move, saying it was a populist measure that ignored the free market.
Yaacov Cohen, the owner of one of Israel’s largest theater complexes, said owners made virtually no profit from ticket sales and would be hard pressed to survive if food sales were limited.
“It would destroy the entire industry,” he told Yediot.
(AFP)
以色列某國會議員為了討好選民，提案希望國會修法抑制電影院爆米花的售價。
根據以色列《新消息報》上週報導，執政的聯合黨議員卡梅爾•夏瑪打算逾越節之後，於下週提案表決「爆米花法」。
夏瑪說﹔「我們必須制止這種現象，民眾不應該只為了買飲料跟零食花那麼多錢。」
一份大爆米花在電影院零食貨攤大約賣五美元(折合台幣一百五十九元)，比在超市貴兩倍多，也比在家自己做貴十倍之多。
夏瑪說，他這個構想已經獲得政府與反對黨議員的支持，這個規定將限制電影院及其他公共娛樂場所如體育館等，販賣零食給任由他們宰割的觀眾的價格。
然而電影院業者猛烈抨擊這種做法，表示這種討好大眾的規定根本是忽略自由市場機制。
擁有以色列最大戲院大樓的亞可夫•柯恩說，業者光賣電影票幾乎沒有利潤，如果又限制零食價格，生存空間將嚴重受到打壓。
他告訴《新消息報》說﹔「這將摧毀整個電影院生機。」
（法新社╱翻譯：吳岱璟）
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