Anatomy of a bag ban
In the first episode of HBO new show The Veep starring Julia Louis Dreyfus as the vice president of the United States, her character, Selina Meyer,[url=http://www.thenorthface-outlet.us@#$%&/]north face[/url], off the plastics guys. How? By arbitrarily declaring she wanted to replace all plastic ware in the White House with cutlery made from cornstarch.
As hilarity ensued, The Veep quickly backtracked,[url=http://www.tiffany-andco@#$%&/]tiffany and co[/url], recognizing not only the power of the plastics lobby,[url=http://www.katespadeoutlethandbags@#$%&/]kate spade handbags[/url], but that her vegetable based cutlery didn hold its shape when put in a hot substance.
A majority of these geniuses voted last week to ban plastic bags,[url=http://www.polo-ralphlauren.it/]@#$%&[/url], leaving residents scratching their heads, wondering how it happened. Let me offer a brief history lesson.
It all began with a member of Mayor Rob Ford executive,[url=http://www.canadagoosejacketsoutlet.ca/]@#$%&[/url], Coun. Michelle Berardinetti.
She wanted city retailers to allocate the 5 cent bag fee they collect (6 cents with HST) to revitalize the city tree canopy,[url=http://www.longchamphandbags-outlet@#$%&/]long champ[/url], a seemingly laudable goal.
The city spends millions of dollars every year to take care of trees, which have been adversely affected by bugs such as the emerald ash borer and long horned beetle.
In February, the executive committee voted 10 3 to move ahead with a staff report on the viability of Berardinetti proposal,[url=http://www.@#$%&-rosherun.fr/]rosh run[/url], and against the mayor plan to scrap the bylaw, which orders retailers to collect the bag fee (none of the revenue goes to the city).
In May,[url=http://www.raybansunglasses.us@#$%&/]ray-ban sunglasses[/url], Ford executive voted to declare the bag fee bylaw a success in changing consumer behavior and scrap it.
But then it was council turn,[url=http://www.northface-jackets.us@#$%&/]the north face outlet[/url], which has the final say.
A ban on plastic bags was proposed a day before the council meeting by Coun. Anthony Perruzza, but it initially wasn taken seriously.
Normally, major policy decisions of this type are made following endless staff reports. Not this time.
Taxpayers pay millions of dollars annually for qualified and mostly competent city staff,[url=http://www.cheapnfljersey-outlet@#$%&/]nba jerseys[/url], so how about asking them to answer some questions about the bag ban? Nope.
How about a report? Nope. Is it legal,[url=http://www.new-balance574@#$%&/]joe's new balance outlet[/url]? Don know.
Economic and environmental impacts? Haven a clue.
As the debate began, out of nowhere David Shiner, a centre right councillor who served as former mayor Mel Lastman budget chief and who is considered part of Ford team (though I told this is seriously debatable now), brought forward a motion to: all City of Toronto retail stores from providing customers with single use plastic carry out (shopping) bags, including those advertised as compostable,[url=http://www.juicycoutureoutlet.us@#$%&/]juicycouture@#$%&[/url], biodegradable,[url=http://www.lunetteoakley-pascher.fr/]oakley @#$%&[/url], photo degradable or similar, effective January 1,[url=http://www.longchamphandbagsoutlet.us@#$%&/]longchamp[/url], 2013. They debated,[url=http://www.raybansunglassese.co.uk/]@#$%& glasses[/url], they voted and suddenly council had eliminated the retail distribution of plastic bags.
After a number of councillors had a just happened here? moment and mass confusion ensued,[url=http://www.bottegaveneta-handbagsoutlet@#$%&/]bottega veneta outlet[/url], they took a brief recess to find their bearings.
Then the speaker ruled they could vote on banning the fee and the bags separately. The rest is now (embarrassing) history,[url=http://www.nikeairmaxinc@#$%&/]@#$%& air max[/url].
Axing the plastic bag fee was not something Ford ran on in the 2010 municipal election.
However, soon after taking office,[url=http://www.@#$%&-airmax2u@#$%&/]@#$%& air max 2013[/url], Ford said he like to eliminate it. So, simply because he is the mayor, Ford will wear what council did.
But the real culprits are those councillors who irresponsibly voted for the ban without giving it any real thought and without thinking through the next logical step in terms of environmental impact,[url=http://www.louis-vuittonhandbags.co.uk/]louis @#$%& uk[/url].
Let me put this as plainly as possible,[url=http://www.lunetterayban-pas-cher.fr/]@#$%& @#$%&[/url], so these councillors can understand it,[url=http://www.soccer--shoes@#$%&/]@#$%& mercurial[/url], or at least have one of their staff explain it to them.
No more plastic bags means more paper bags. To make paper bags, you need paper. Paper comes from trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which is good for the environment.
No more plastic bags also means more reusable bags,[url=http://www.doudoune-canadagoosepascher.fr/]@#$%& @#$%&[/url]. Reusable bags have to be manufactured,[url=http://www.montrepas-cher.fr/]montre homme[/url]. Manufacturing requires energy. Energy is expensive,[url=http://www.montblancpens.us/]mont blanc[/url].
Finally, reusable bags are prone to bacteria and cross contamination of food if not cleaned regularly.
Had councillors been interested in actual information,[url=http://www.louisvuitton-pascher.fr/]sac louis @#$%&[/url], perhaps they could have asked questions about the original bylaw the mayor was trying to sack the most obvious one being what happened to the idea of retailers providing free, alternative bags to shoppers?
When you nickle and dime people to death, they get angry. Ultimately that was the problem with the bag fee.
I reserve my rant against social engineering for the next time council does something idiotic to mess with the lives of Torontonians. With this crowd, we won have to wait long.

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