Posted on 11/24/2004 12:42:47 PM PST by lindor
San Francisco's Commission on the Environment delayed Tuesday a decision on a groundbreaking proposal to levy a 17-cent fee on grocery bags provided to shoppers in the city, saying the plan needed more time to be strengthened and improved.
On a 4-3 vote, the commission continued the issue to its Jan. 25 meeting.
The commission is weighing whether to urge Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors to pass the bag tax into law, which would be the first of its kind in the United States.
The fee, which would be charged against grocery stores and ultimately passed on to consumers, is aimed at reducing the number of discarded plastic bags, which environmentalists blame for clogging recycling machines and polluting waterways, among other problems.
"This way, if you take a bag, you pay for it directly,'' said Robert Haley of the city's Department of the Environment.
Dozens of people spoke in favor of the proposal Tuesday night, describing how plastic bags pollute the city and how people can learn to use more environmentally friendly containers. The comments prompted Commissioner Arlene Rodriguez to remark: "Can I just say that tonight, it is a great pleasure to be a San Franciscan."
The proposal is similar to measures in other countries where governments either ban the bags or charge a fee for their use.
Trade groups and the plastics industry have criticized the plan. Paul Smith of the California Grocers Association called it "a highly aggressive tax upon our customers'' in his comments before the commission.
But at least one newly elected supervisor -- Ross Mirkarimi -- has indicated he will support it when he takes office in January.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Will the last sane person to leave SF please turn out the lights?
Stupid laws like this make me want to buy a case of plastic bags, go to San Francisco and release them into the wild while playing a recording of "Born Free".
How long before a tax on paper bags is instituted as well?
And then after that will they pass a law that people must provide their own bags to transport groceries home?
proud to be insane is more like it. Whats next charge for air consumption so we would hold our breath longer and waste less oxygen? If this happens I think we might get a revolt that is if any people are left in that place.
which reminds me of St.Louis which shrunk for almost a million people to 330-350k now thats progress *sarcasm*.
Maybe thats what they are aiming for? Less people in general so that they could have all the rat infested and delapidated space they could ever want.
Too late...
Why only 17 cents? Why not a dollar?
Why only 17 cents? Why not a dollar?
Psssssst San Francisco, tax the plastic bottles like Germany does. You guys want to be able to keep up with your bro socialists.
maybe put tolls on sidewalks so that when people want to enter a neighborhood they could pay taxes as they walk into one from another.
They think up a new way to tax, and we must do our part to confound them!
BYOB = Bring Your Own Bag!
maybe they should put tolls on sidewalks and charge people for entering and leaving neighborhoods?
They have another employee, Tiffany, that bags our groceries, but only puts one or two items in a bag. My mom works at this store (no she isn't one of the "slow" people), and whenever I get Tiffany, I look at Mom, and she says, "Now, Tiffany, you know you can get a few more items in that bag". I can just imagine what Tiffany would do to my budget if we lived in San Fransisco and this passed.
BYOB = Bring Your Own Bag!
Won't work. Restaurants have a "corkage" charge, grocery stores will have a "baggage" charge.
You can't deny the rulers of the Cesspool by the Bay their tribute.
Yes I can. I can choose to live anywhere but there. ;-)
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