People bitching about a nickel.

[Fear No Evil]

I think the problem people are having these days is the nickles that EVERYBODY is adding on. Fuel surcharges? Have those gone away since gas prices went down.. nope. Fees on everything. Bank fees.. pay a bill online? Fee.. Pay it in person? Fee.. Buy a house? Fees for the banker scratching his ass.. check.. Pay your taxes with a credit card? Fee. Phone bill? 911 fee, infrastructure fee, education fee.. etc. Need new tires on your car or an oil change? Recycling fee... Its not just government doing it, its EVERYONE. We are being fee'd to death and it needs to stop. The amount of hidden taxes and fees we pay is unbelievable when you actually starting READING your bills.

It needs to stop, and if 5 cents on a grocery bag is going to start that process of people pushing back we'll be better off for it.

 

[darkxshade]

I think people would be more receptive to the idea of grocery bills being rounded up to the nearest dime and we do away with the penny & nickel.

 

[techs]

I think the problem people are having these days is the nickles that EVERYBODY is adding on. Fuel surcharges? Have those gone away since gas prices went down.. nope. Fees on everything. Bank fees.. pay a bill online? Fee.. Pay it in person? Fee.. Buy a house? Fees for the banker scratching his ass.. check.. Pay your taxes with a credit card? Fee. Phone bill? 911 fee, infrastructure fee, education fee.. etc. Need new tires on your car or an oil change? Recycling fee... Its not just government doing it, its EVERYONE. We are being fee'd to death and it needs to stop. The amount of hidden taxes and fees we pay is unbelievable when you actually starting READING your bills.

It needs to stop, and if 5 cents on a grocery bag is going to start that process of people pushing back we'll be better off for it.

Yes, these fees must stop. We need to go back to the progressive income tax to fund government.

 

[Chryso]

If those bags actually cost a nickel each then I wouldn't be bothered.

 

[Fear No Evil]

States with bottle bills are strikingly cleaner than states without. I almost never see a bottle or can on the streets where I live. I have gone to states without bottle bills and there are cans and broken glass everywhere. Huge amounts of plastics and aluminum have been recycled, saving America large amounts of money that would have gone for imported oil, and lowered emissions from coal fired power plants that didn't have to provide the electricity to produce virgin aluminum.
Helped US balance of payments. Cut down on landfill usage.
Created jobs that kept money in the US instead of going offshore to pay for oil.

Funny, everywhere I go thats progressive I see more trash.. and conversative.. less trash. Perhaps we should ban progressives?

 

[radioouman]

I'd estimate that the cost to the store is about 1/10th of a cent. 10 for one penny. I don't think that the stores should mark up bags to make a profit.

 

[0roo0roo]

because its eco bullsh*t.
how about you pay a nickle for extra napkins at mcdonalds. want to use the toilet? how about a dollar.

 

[techs]

Funny, everywhere I go thats progressive I see more trash.. and conversative.. less trash. Perhaps we should ban progressives?

Judging by the Washington Monument in the background you are showing a picture of Washington, D.C. a place that DOESN'T have a bottle law.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I have no issues with pay 5 cents for a bag.

 

[rivan]

States with bottle bills are strikingly cleaner than states without. I almost never see a bottle or can on the streets where I live. I have gone to states without bottle bills and there are cans and broken glass everywhere. Huge amounts of plastics and aluminum have been recycled, saving America large amounts of money that would have gone for imported oil, and lowered emissions from coal fired power plants that didn't have to provide the electricity to produce virgin aluminum.
Helped US balance of payments. Cut down on landfill usage.
Created jobs that kept money in the US instead of going offshore to pay for oil.

:thumbsup;

For all the talk about a nanny state and it's implied negative connotation, I don't mind one bit measures like this. The goal isn't revenue, it's an incentive for people to cut the amount of plastic used.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/how_bad_for_the_environment_can

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2205419.stm

 

[sourceninja]

Funny. The most successful "government intrusion" has been in states with bottle return laws.

Except for the HUGE burdon it puts on small business. The people who have to do all the work and get basically nothing in return.

http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2009/04/a_costly_law_new_bottle_bill_w.html

http://www.chaldean.org/NewsInforma...bor-Claims-in-Michigan-Bottle-Return-Law.aspx

 

[lupi]

You want to be progressive, let's revitalize the days when there was no income tax. Now there's a progressive idea; and if I recall some of the talking points at the time mentioned the use of the income tax would be limited then go away.

 

[sdifox]

can I get my money back when I bring my old plastic bags back to the grocery store for recycling?

you could just reuse the bag, which is what this measure is encouraging.

 

[Modular]

I love the idea. In my opinion instead of absorbing the cost by making my groceries cost more they are charging the numbnuts who refuse to get some reusable bags.

My grocery bills go down!

You cannot be serious...

 

[Genx87]

My take is the anti-tax zealots have made it so hard for municipalities to raise taxes, they are turning to "use based" taxes.
Too bad, since these taxes aren't progressive, and in effect benefit wealthy people over everyone else.

How many cities have a local income tax??????

 

[ahenkel]

you could just reuse the bag, which is what this measure is encouraging.

That's acceptable they do need to make the bags more tear resistant though.

 

[sdifox]

That's acceptable they do need to make the bags more tear resistant though.

buy real bags. I use canvas bags. I just toss the ones that carried uncooked meats into washer immediately and the rest when they get dirty.

I think I have 20 bags. The 5 cent plastic bag program started June 1, 2009 in Toronto.

 

[waffleironhead]

I like the way copps does it here. For every reusable bag, I get 5 cents off my total.

 

[lurk3r]

I don't mind paying a nickel a bag if they put more shit in them I'll go shopping at safeway and they use way to many bags.

MMM nickel bag

 

[ahenkel]

I like the way copps does it here. For every reusable bag, I get 5 cents off my total.

yea they do that at Roths.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I've been shopping at Price Rite for a few years, they've always charged for bags. Of course, plan ahead and bring some reusable bags, problem solved..

 

[GagHalfrunt]

FWIW grocery stores work on a VERY thin profit margin and the cost of bags is a big chunk of the budget. It costs a store about 2 cents for one of the typical 2-handle plastic bags and over 5 cents for the largest 1/6 paper with the store logo on it. The way the bags are manufactured is undeniably bad for the environment and it takes the city a ton of cash to deal with clean-up, as much as another 5-6 cents per bag. I'm no enviro-geek, but this is one of the things the left wing wants that actually makes sense. Everyone wins on this and it's going to happen. The touchy-feely places like California will roll it out first and places like Texas will get it last, but in 10 years it's going to cover much of the country.

People will invest a couple of bucks up front for reusable canvas bags and the problem is solved. You're already paying for the bags anyway, the store factors them into the margins. They might not ring up at .5 cents a pop, but you're damn well paying that.

 

[nageov3t]

FWIW grocery stores work on a VERY thin profit margin and the cost of bags is a big chunk of the budget. It costs a store about 2 cents for one of the typical 2-handle plastic bags and over 5 cents for the largest 1/6 paper with the store logo on it. The way the bags are manufactured is undeniably bad for the environment and it takes the city a ton of cash to deal with clean-up, as much as another 5-6 cents per bag. I'm no enviro-geek, but this is one of the things the left wing wants that actually makes sense. Everyone wins on this and it's going to happen. The touchy-feely places like California will roll it out first and places like Texas will get it last, but in 10 years it's going to cover much of the country.

People will invest a couple of bucks up front for reusable canvas bags and the problem is solved. You're already paying for the bags anyway, the store factors them into the margins. They might not ring up at .5 cents a pop, but you're damn well paying that.

I can't imagine five cents is enough to make a significant number of people switch to reusable bags, but it's probably enough for the grocery stores to see extra profit on.

an average trip to the grocery store for me is 2 bags. I go shopping 2-3 times/week. $.40 per month isn't going to change my habits.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

I used to use reuseable bags everytime... Things are so damn expensive! Would cost me $10 every trip to the grocery store! Im SO happy with the newer cheaper 5c bags!

 

[shortylickens]

How many cities have a local income tax??????

Many. Especially those who dont feel they get enough from the state and county.
Eugene was thinking of doing this a few years ago. Oregon has no sales tax and is rated number 47 in the country for public schools. Eugene wanted to improve their school systems with a city income and sales tax. I dunno if it ever happened. I left town for a new job before the issue got resolved.