Politics from the Palouse to Puget Sound

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The Plastic Bag Emperor Has No Clothes

As I look out my showroom windows from my Grand Avenue business, I see a definite lack of plastic bags. Last night we had a major wind storm come through with gusts some have estimated as high as 75 m.p.h.

Shouldn't there be plastic bags stuck to the trees, in the grass and blowing around in the street? Where are they? Or is this just another leftist case of crying wolf with little thought that people can see the (lack of) evidence for themselves?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I think all Pullman residents should be concerned by statements we have seen in recent letters to the editor such as:

We support the idea of a fee (which is not a tax) for plastic bags

and

I can support the notion that I need to change my behavior to benefit the common good and do a better thing. So I will continue to bring a reusable container to carry purchases. With a plastic bag fee, if I refuse to change my behavior, desire not to be inconvenienced, I still have a choice of using a store issued bag. So the bag fee is not about choice, it is about changing behavior and doing the right thing.

Article I, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution states:

All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.

How does government "changing behavior" for the "common good" protect and maintain individual rights?