CO Senate considering bill to charge $.25 for using plastic bags

[crays]

Also if you use cloth bags, you'll have to wash them regularly, thus using more water in a very dry state. Its idiotic.


I think the proposed tax is .25 on your whole tab if you want bags, not .25 each bag.

Yeah I saw that after I read the quoted portion of the article. Guess I'm not retiring early after all...

[StagLefty]

According to a guest politician on KHOW this morning it doesn't stand a chance of passing.

[Irving]

The arguments against this are just as stupid as this tax in the first place.

Sin taxes are immoral, what else needs to be said?

[crays]

SNIP...
The proceeds would go to grants and loans to local governments and building contractors to build or retain affordable housing in Colorado.

SNIP...

The bill carves out exemptions for restaurants and those eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

So, if you're on food stamps, you're exempt... Seems like I see an inordinate amount of stray plastic bags and other ground litter in areas prone to a high percentage of "benefit recipients". Seems to me, they're giving those least likely to recycle in the first place, and most likely to benefit from the funding, a free pass in this Common Sense legislation.

Why am I not surprised?

[Martinjmpr]

We took a trip to San Diego in August. While we were there we had to go to the grocery store and CA has a .10/bag fee for plastic bags. The result is kind of comical - a surplus of plastic bags in every store and people trying to juggle all their stuff without using a bag or carrying around a cardboard box for their groceries.

If this were to pass I'm not sure it would bring in much revenue at all, since people can "opt out" of paying the tax pretty easily.

The other funny thing about the CA law was that it ONLY applied to grocery stores. Any other kind of store you go to, you can get as many plastic bags as you want for free.

[Ronin13]

Although they had Senate President Kevin Grantham on KHOW this morning say that it wouldn't make it through the (R) controlled senate. So maybe, maybe not?

According to a guest politician on KHOW this morning it doesn't stand a chance of passing.

See above.

Also if you use cloth bags, you'll have to wash them regularly, thus using more water in a very dry state. Its idiotic.


I think the proposed tax is .25 on your whole tab if you want bags, not .25 each bag.

It is $.25 per visit, not per bag... still, that adds up.

My response was going to be e.coli for everyone!

Every time I see a cat lady in front of me take out nasty reusable bags I shudder. I wish I could sterilize the belt myself.


ETA: Oh, I see now this is for affordable housing. Which is just as important as affordable healthcare.

After driving up the cost of living in the state, they want to make it more expensive to live by increasing taxes. "We have to take your paycheck so you can afford to live."

Why can't Dims see they are their own worst enemy?

This exemplifies my content for the (D) that are in our state legislature. And they have real issues handling the money they already get... so they continue their tax increases.

ETA: This whole making people pay extra for plastic bags is stupid. I understand it's to help cut down on litter/waste, and to "save the environment," but I reuse those bags- they make great small trash can liners, and car trash bags. Also, taxing things out of existence rarely ever works...

[Drucker]

I would be willing to pony up and buy a plastic bag for everyone in the Senate. If the tie them over their heads

[Gman]

I would be willing to pony up and buy a plastic bag for everyone in the Senate. If the tie them over their heads

"We're going to play "astronaut". Here's your 'helmet'. Make sure you fasten it securely for the vacuum of space."

[fitterjohn]

So if I'm reading this correctly they want to tax useong plastic bags then use that money to build housing I'm not able to use rather than use it to recycle the bags? Or am I wrong?

Also is anyone else tired of hearing about how expensive it is to live here? I know it's expensive (raising tax and fees don't make it cheaper). If you don't like how much it costs maybe you should move to a different place. Or maybe I'm just jaded being a native and not like I'm out of staters come here and demand things change.

[Ronin13]

So if I'm reading this correctly they want to tax useong plastic bags then use that money to build housing I'm not able to use rather than use it to recycle the bags? Or am I wrong?

That's exactly right. Tax us for using plastic bags to help fund "affordable housing." You can blame it on the massive influx of people to the state. There is such a high demand for housing that the costs have shot up well above national averages over the last few years.