Link : https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/nyregion/new-york-plastic-bag-fee.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Bag Fee for New York City Is Delayed by State Legislature
This article talks about how the recent proposed city law on plastic bags was postponed. The law basically made it so that people would have to pay five cents extra for each plastic bag they needed when doing things such as grocery shopping. The purpose of this law is cause people to lean more towards bringing their own bags which would in turn cause less plastic bags to be used up. This would in theory create a much healthier and safer environment as a whole. For instance in the article it says "Environmentalists have said the law would reduce waste and cut the amount of bags sent to landfills. They also said many of the bags end up in the ocean where they present a hazard to sea life, or they simply fill city streets and tree branches with unsightly trash." Naturally there are also opponents of this law who say that this will only hurt those who are already struggling in today's society due to financial strain. Specifically it says "But opponents argued that the tax would place an undue economic burden on shoppers, especially the poor. Dog owners also wondered how they would cope without free bags to clean up after Fido during walks." It is because of all this dissension that this law was postponed so close to its launch date. In the article it said that a bill would be passed by the assembly so that the city bag-fee law would be held off until at least January 2018. Initially the state senate meant to pass a bill that would terminate the bag fee; the Assembly version that just postponed it was the product of a compromise between the two houses of the Legislature, according to a legislative aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the internal discussions. The purpose of this is mainly so that people can have more time to debate on whether or not this is the right move to take for our environment. Many times in the past the government has, both on local and national scales, taken large measures to both try to help the environment and make more money. Do you feel as though this is really just for the environment or that there are some other underlying motives at play? Also do you feel as though this is something that other local governments in other states should start to consider being it is supposed to be for the benefit of the environment as a whole?
Link : https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/nyregion/new-york-plastic-bag-fee.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
Link : https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/nyregion/new-york-plastic-bag-fee.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
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its bad enough we have a lot of taxes taken out for our every purchase do we really need to pay just for plastic bags when grocery shopping? I agree with the fact that cutting down on plastic bags would be a good effect on the environment and the landfill waste and to help put an end to ocean pollution how ever there could be a better way to end plastic bags without people having to keep paying until they get tired of it. what if your local grocery store gave out a reusable bag for returning costumers as like some sort of reward process? This could help get rid of plastic bags and if something happens to your reusable bag then you would need to buy a new one they would be able to come in all different shapes such ass small medium and large. Would this be a good environmental friendly solution?
ReplyDeleteI can see your point but this is the same thing as people bringing their own bags to grocery stores. The only difference is if I bring my own bag I'm not paying the grocery store for it. Either way even with your plan people are paying the grocery store for a bag. This would still be against what those opposing the bill had to say. It would harm those already struggling in society such as poor people. Maybe this bill is good because it's only cents they have to pay for plastic bags but if they bring their own then they won't need to pay.
DeleteI think the purpose of this law is a great thing and the environment needs that. The purpose as stated is that they want people to lean more towards bringing their own bags which would in turn cause less plastic bags to be used up. This is environment friendly and can help speed up the process of cleaning up the oceans. But they way the government is going at it is wrong to me and to other people. Why must they tax us even though the tax is as little as 5 cents. If they really wanted people to use less bags to help the environment they would find a way to make that happen without it benefiting them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this somewhat. I feel as though this bill may have initially had good intentions, however, it has been morphed into to something meant to have municipal benefits. What do you think could be the ideal way to get rid of the plastic bags? Do you think that the plastic bags should just be banned all together or that there is not better solution?
DeleteI did not find it shocking that people would go against an attempt to preserve the environment. I do believe that this plan was created to improve our environment. Reducing the amount of plastic consumed/used is a step in the right direction in terms of improving our environment. Placing tax on extra bags as an incentive to buy your own reusable bags should not even be debated. It is only five cents extra. People complaining bout not having extra bags to pick up poop is unreasonable. We would have extra bags, but we only have one earth. This needs to be considered by local governments. We would all be saving money. What do you all think would be a better way to convince people to switch from plastic to reusable bags?
ReplyDeleteSo do you feel that people are just over reacting? For some people, five cents is too much to be spending on just plastic bags. Yes they could just buy their own bags to keep using, but why do that when things could just stay as they are now, so they don't have to pay anything. I personally feel like the best way to convince people into doing this would be if reusable bags where offered and advertised at a much cheaper price. This could potentially sway people towards feeling like they are missing out if they don't buy it, thus convincing them to buy.
DeleteI think that there is a deeper meaning behind this plan. It is nice to preserve the environment, but at the same time, taxing people is not the best way to convince people to give up plastic bags. Also I personally relate to other dog owners that use plastic bags to pick up after their dogs. Their are also several other useful ways for us to use plastic bags. For these reasons i do not agree with how they are going about trying to tax plastic bags. If the local or state governments want to reduce the use of plastic, they should make the alternative bags very cheap Instead of taxing for plastic
ReplyDeleteThis is just another way for the government to make money. For most people, five cents wont break the bank. It is honestly just unnecessary tax on something as little as plastic bags.
DeleteI honestly feel as though the city is trying to find every way possible to make money because they are desperate. I know someone that works with the traffic police. Everyday he HAS too give out a certain amount of tickets by the end of the day. This leads to people receiving tickets for things they did not do which is why this should not be implied by the police department. This is why I think this law is not for protecting the environment.
ReplyDelete