Last week, Denver City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega, Denver’s City Councilwoman-at-Large, perhaps revealed a bit too much during a discussion of Denver’s proposed five-cent bag fee tax on plastic grocery bags.
Here’s what Ortega actually said about the bag tax:
“My focus on doing this ordinance has never been about raising money, but rather to affect the behavior of consumers by reducing the consumption of single use bags.”
Here’s the video from Revealing Politics:
That’s not creepy at all (sarcasm). While her statement is bizarre enough to freedom-loving Denverites, it ought to cause concern among all Coloradans as well. Denver is far from the the only locale in Colorado to attempt to pass a plastic bag tax, or outlaw plastic bags altogether.
According to BagtheBan.com, Breckenridge, Boulder, Carbondale, and Aspen have all implemented similar tax schemes on plastic and/or paper bag use. Mountain Village and Telluride have gone so far as to ban the use of plastic bags entirely. The following cities also are considering bans and taxes on plastic bags: Fraser, Durango, Fort Collins, and Steamboat Springs.
While there is question whether this “fee” is actually a “tax” and, thus, must go before voters, really, doesn’t Colorado have larger issues to tackle than plastic bags?
I agree that discouraging use of plastic bags seems like a case of edging your front lawn while your dog attacks the kid next door (i.e. couldn't it wait?), but how can anybody act surprised at the idea of using taxes or fees for social engineering = changing people's behavior? Hello – Lower rates on long-term capital gains? IRAs, 401(k)s, Roths, HSAs, FSAs… Cigarette taxes? The mortgage interest deduction?
You for one remember the hue and cry about the need to prohibit the use of paper bags because of all of the poor motherless trees that were murdered to produce the paper. That was about the same time the left was forecasting global cooling and a new ice age. The cult of the left is as useful as a rotted out tree stump.
So for the next Broncos season you can't bring a bag into the stadium other than a clear plastic bag. Will they collecting 5 cents upon entry?
What happened to changing behavior through education? Now it seems to change behavior, the answer is "hit their pocket books!" Why? Change not happening fast enough?
It's called redirection. There may be a time when they'll redirect attention away from plastic bags because it involves a scandal. A plastic scandal? I wear them all the time, lol
Remember the $40.00 you now pay on your car license is a fee also, just because if they call it a tax they have to ask us to vote on it. So start watching for new new new fees for everything.
Funny thing is, I remember when the push was on to go to plastic bags and do away with paper sacks to 'save the trees, save the environment.' Now, the 'change the world by shoving stupid crap down people's throats' types are saying the opposite. They will never get it right. Law of unintended consequences gets them every time they mount a campaign for a 'cause.''.
Thin film blow technology is a wonderful invention that allowed us to nearly end reliance on paper (trees) products and gave us a very sanitary and cheap solution to hauling groceries.
Who the hell said these are "single-use" bags? I always, ALWAYS, re-use my bags to line my small trash cans at home. If I couldn't get them from the grocery store, I'd have to buy them in bulk from Costco. It's a zero-sum equation.
So, they ban bags altogether. Now I get to mix my raw meat, chemicals, vegetables, etc in one giant reusable bag. I thought the Dems were trying to reform Healthcare, not create new business for it.
I also don't understand how any government has any legal standing to impose such a restriction? Under what commerce law is it unacceptable for a retailer to provide a convenience for free? As discussed before, a "fee" is only assessed to recoup costs with providing a service. In this case, government isn't providing a service, so this isn't a government fee. It's a tax. Regardless of what voters have to do to approve a tax, a tax is based on value and is a percentage of value. Retailers don't assign value to these bags, ergo, no tax can be levied.
Good thing I don't live in any of these crazy towns. If I did, I would do my shopping whenever I left town or cross a nearby boundary to avoid paying taxes.
This dopey broad is an embarrassment to the entire state. Are there not real problems to tackle? Only a Democrat would get all hot and bothered by plastic bags when real issues like human trafficking, jobs, energy, forest management, illegal aliens, drugs, education, and unemployment are on the minds of Coloradans.
I can understand the she is putting forth the "green" side of things.. But I can't help, but to think she doesn't want the bag makers to make all that money.. Is toilet paper going to be next..
Let me guess, she is a democrat!