Thursday, April 10, 2014

Tell Me What You Really Feel

Brutal honesty makes for shocking conversation, and even more so when it comes from a politician (after all, they are permanently running for re-election). Diane Savino, a state senator from New York recently let loose on a proposal in New York City to charge 10 cents for plastic bags at the checkout, with people on public assistance being exempt from the charge. And she did it on Facebook for all the world to see.
"i have already called my councilman and told him to vote NO. it is not the 10 cents a bag, although, exempting those on Public Assistance is absurd and insulting to the rest of us. if good Environmental policy is to work, it requires an all in mentality. we don't exempt those of limited means from paying the 5 cent deposit on bottles and cans, do we? now don't bet me started on the Bottle Bill, but at least the approach is consistent to all. if you don't want the plastic bags, ban them, don't make us pay for them. as for allowing the retailers to keep the 10 cents so they will "invest" in paper and reusables, please! ban the bags, and that will happen overnight and that will lead to greater compliance. not some half-assed, feel good, limousine liberal approach! there i feel better now."
I'll bet you do!

(All typos are in the original source. I thought about [sic]-ing them, but it would have led to a thoroughly unreadable quote. This was a Ctrl-A,Ctrl-C,Ctrl-V cut-and-paste.)

I do agree that letting the retailers keep the 10 cents is a bad idea. For the store buying bags, plastics ones are cheaper than paper, hence their widespread use and the resistance by retailers to the bans and fees. I don't see how letting the retailers keep the money would provide any incentive at all for them to invest in paper and reusables. The bags themselves usually cost less than 10 cents, so now the consumers are paying for the bags and the retailers are literally profiting from them.


Previous Years
April 10, 2013 - A Hodgepodge of Rheology and Polymer Matters

April 10, 2012 - Potpourri

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