Saturday, August 30, 2014

Why California Needs A Part-Time Legislature

Perhaps if there was less time for them to meet, they'd pass necessary laws instead of having plenty of time to spend on stupid and inconveniencing laws like this:
The state Senate on Friday gave final legislative approval to a measure that would phase out single-use plastic bags in supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores as part of an effort to rid beaches and streets of litter.

The measure, which now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown for consideration, would allow stores to charge customers 10 cents to provide paper or reusable plastic bags as an alternative to single-use bags.
"Single-use"? Who says so? Why can't people who don't reuse them just put them in their recycling bin?  Why do we have to ban something that's useful?  (Ans:  because liberals like compulsion.  It's who they are, it's what they do.)

I wonder if anyone's considered the water that will be necessary to wash all the reusable bags we're supposed to use now.

10 comments:

Auntie Ann said...

I went to Amazon and bought my own paper and plastic bags. We end up using each one about three times: groceries a couple times, then as our recycling bin. It's slightly more expensive than buying the paper bags at the store, but I refuse to pay the grocers for them. They were bribed into supporting the $0.10/bag fee by telling them they could keep the money. It's essentially a tax, but the private grocers get to keep the money. If they had to hand the money over to the government, I would actually prefer it.

And now, you can't even get a plastic bag at the meat market, where recycling the bag is just gross, not to mention dangerous.

PeggyU said...

They did it in a neighboring town, and it's a pain in the butt to shop there now. As to the single-use bags, we certainly use them more than once. We use them as lunch bags, garbage can liners, and to clean out the cat box. I also use several wadded up as cushioning material when I ship packages whose contents are fragile. The single-use bags are biodegradable and readily decompose when exposed to sunlight. So you don't get as many uses as the heavier plastic bags, but they can still be used more than once before their usefulness runs out.

Not only do you have to wash "reusable" bags, but the resources to create them are greater. In the end, I think it's a wash as to which approach is best - so why not let people decide for themselves?

maxutils said...

I love my Trader Joe's canvas bags ...only 4 bucks, and they are easier to carry ... but the idea of the plastic bags I sometimes use now being isingle use is laughable.

Anonymous said...

Auntie,

Which paper bags do you buy from Amazon? My wife and I have been looking as we use these for garbage bags ...

-Mark Roulo

Jerry Doctor said...

PeggyU -

Isn't it obvious why you can't let people decide for themselves? They might not make the "proper" choice.

Pseudotsuga said...

But Bette Midler thinks it's cool, so now the planet can begin to heal...or something...
So many things wrong in Cali, and this legislation got how much spent on it?

Mike Thiac said...

Darren, what did Reagan say was his worse mistake a governor? He signed off on full time state legislators. At least we've held off that stupidity in Texas.

Rhymes With Right said...

That's why I love our system here in Texas -- the legislature is in session for 140 calendar days every other year. They can only come back into session in the event the governor calls a special session.

Oh, and we pay them less than $10K a year.

Auntie Ann said...

I bought these paper ones: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009JCOXWG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are tall and quite strong. I also bought these t-shirt bags and I stuff the two together much of the time.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025W9ALG/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Auntie Ann said...

Pseudotsuga: So many things wrong in Cali...

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here!