In Mayor’s Plan, the Plastic Bag Will Carry a Fee

The New York Times ^ | DAVID W. CHEN AND AL GORE

[Eric Blair 2084]

In its struggle to make New York more green, the Bloomberg administration has tried discouraging people from using plastic bags. It has taken out ads beseeching residents to use cloth bags and set up recycling bins for plastic bags at supermarkets.

But now the carrots have been put away, and the stick is out: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has called for charging shoppers 6 cents for every plastic bag needed at the register.

If the proposal passes, New York City would follow the lead of many European countries and become one of the first places in the United States to assess a so-called plastic bag tax.

Seattle voters will weigh in on a similar measure next year, and other places, like Los Angeles and Dallas, have studied the idea.

City officials estimate that the fee could generate $16 million a year, a figure that Mr. Bloomberg would no doubt appreciate, given the lingering and concussive effects of the global economic crisis on the city’s economy.

But while the fee would burnish Mr. Bloomberg’s environmental record, it might not be a lasting source of revenue. Just a few weeks after Ireland adopted a similar, though much heftier tax in 2002 — charging shoppers 33 cents a bag — plastic bag use dropped 94 percent, and within a year, nearly everyone in that country had purchased reusable cloth bags. Still, the mayor believes that the 6-cent fee would have a major impact on consumers’ behavior.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junkie, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Egalitarian, Central Planning, Sheeple Control, Health Nazi, Socialism, Collectivism

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[MAD-AS-HELL]

If the mayor really wants to save his city, he should put one of those plastic bags over his head. It would be one step to save the city millions of dollars.

[Eric Blair 2084]

He’s not the mayor. He’s the Emperor. Get that straight.

[Sacajaweau]

Likme...go back to paper bags...totally biodegradable...good for draining french fries, too.

[SMCC1]

I’m reading the comments after the article...The New Yorkers seem to love the idea.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

right, he’s the emperor in fake republican clothing.

[KingSnorky]

“go back to paper bags...totally biodegradable...good for draining french fries, too.”

Ironically, the same mayor mandates the type of oil restaurants must use to fry those french fries.

[Chairman of the Bard]

"City officials estimate that the fee could generate $16 million a year". I believe that the operative word is "confiscate", Mr. Gump. No, Mr. Gump, "generate" would be a more appropriate word for the massive amounts of energy required to be "generated" to fuel your massive 20,000 sq. ft. McMansion, Chateau Hypocrisy down in Tennessee.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Progressives think that using Gubmint to change people’s behavior for whatever reason is A GOOD IDEA. Liberalism 101.

[razorback-bert]

So, if a homeless person picks up plastic bags and returns them to the Mayor, does he get the 6 cents?

[unixfox]

So many things to be concerned about and this yo-yo is worried about plastic bags?

Hey New York...WAKE THE EFF UP!!!

[xc1427]

Confuse everyone by bringing your own plastic bags from home.

[Eric Blair 2084]

The NY Slimes paper is good for house training dogs too.

[xcamel]

So, who is going to tell them that one of the largest sources of the eeeeeevil plastic bags is the local and regional Food Banks!

[Eric Blair 2084]

Calling this douche and bully a RINO is an insult to RINOs who at least agree with one Republican position.

[tired1]

Confuse everyone by bringing your own plastic bags from home.”

I can’t. I burn every one I get. It’s better for global warming.

[xc1427]

Well, be that way then!!! :)

[FrankR]

"Likme...go back to paper bags...totally biodegradable...good for draining french fries, too. "

I think we already rode that horse back in the 70's when the greenies were then bitching about the number of trees that were "sacrificed" to make paper bags.

Then, we went through the "paper or plastic?" era, and finally settled on all plastic.

Personally, I like the plastic bags, as they have all sorts of uses other than carrying groceries, after you get them home.

Now, having been in Germany for three years, and being married to a German for 10 years, let's examine the idea of "take your own bags" to the store.

My Ex-German Mother-in-law took her own bag to the store, but all she ever bought was bread, butter, and maybe milk. When we go to the store now, it sometimes takes 10-15 plastic bags (or more) to bring it all home.

Now, in the checkout line, I'm guessing Czar Bloomberg would have us hand our 10 to 15 cloth bags to the bagger to fill. How european.
Finally, if we pay $.06 for each bag, do we get a refund if we return the bags? How about paying us $.06 for each plastic bag we don't use,by bringing our own.

I guess grocery carts will be next to go...you know, the melting of the steel in the manufacturing process is bad for globull warming.

Plastic bag tax...just another good reason for American citizens to flee New York.

The liberals just don't get it...if you raise taxes, and run people off by it, you get LESS REVENUE. Circuit City stores (all but 1) are moving out of Georgia because of the recently passed "inventory tax".

Did I hear someone say that Congress consists of OUR representatives?

[Eric Blair 2084]

What about cow farts? Methane is a killer. Maybe cows should be sent to concentration camps and have their bowels removed by Dr. Mengele to save the Earth.