Paper or Plastic or Millions of Dollars

The familiar question at the grocery store used to be ‘paper or plastic’. You had your choice. With most grocery stores using plastic, New York City is considering a tax on every bag used:

“Mayor Bloomberg wants to nickel and dime you at the grocery store - taxing you an extra 5 cents for every plastic bag you take home.

The controversial charge could raise at least $16 million for the cash-strapped city while keeping tons of plastic out of landfills, city officials said Thursday - but some outraged shoppers aren’t buying it.”

link: ‘If I had a nickel for every bag,’ sez Mayor Bloomberg

The idea may have merit in encouraging people to reuse bags and/or convert to cloth bag. However, the presentation of this additional tax seems ill-timed. People are paying soaring prices for groceries and other essentials. An additional cost at the grocery store seems to be “piling on”. It is government reaching into the pockets of consumers when there is very little left to take. People would be far more receptive if the government gave back a few cents as incentive for using a cloth bag to carry home the purchases. Governments, though, do not like to see cash flows go in that direction.

Catherine Forsythe