San Francisco moves closer to banning plastic bags

Mercury News.com ^ | 3/22/2007

[Hadean]

SAN FRANCISCO- San Francisco took another step toward becoming the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags Thursday, after a legislative committee indicated it was likely to endorse the measure. The three-member committee of the city Board of Supervisors was forced to postpone voting on the environmentally friendly legislation after two members amended it to apply to pharmacies with five or more retail stores in addition to grocery stores.

But the two supervisors who approved the amendments said they would vote on Tuesday to send it on to the full board, where eight of the 11 members have signed on as co-sponsors of the bag ban.

If passed, the law would require supermarkets and large drug stores to offer customers only bags made of recyclable paper, plastic that can be turned into compost or sturdy cloth or plastic that can be reused.

Supervisor Ed Jew, the only committee member who opposed it, said he thinks the groundbreaking bill would amount to a tax on San Francisco residents because paper and biodegradable sacks are more expensive than plastic bags and stores would pass that cost on to shoppers.

"Many of the people in my district can't believe we are spending so much time talking about plastic bags and grocery bags, that issues like crime and homelessness need to be addressed," Jew said.

[OKIEDOC]

SAN FRANCESCO and how the gay, lesbian and freak molesters combined to ruin a city.

Does this also mean that they will ban condoms?

[RWCC]

But how dare we call them Stalinists!

[teacherwoes]

Let's go back to paper only and chop down lots of trees!

[leadhead]

Now what'll I put over Nancy's head?

[doug from upland]

Maybe they could ban plastic faces.

[theoriginalgriff]

Thanks...you just ruined my dinner with that pic, lol.

But on an environmentally friendly note, I suggest the San Fruitciscans don't need grocery bags of any kind. I think they should forage or is that frolic(?) in the woods and sit in the dark at night counting the money they'll earn selling AlGore all their carbon credits.

[Shots]

"Many of the people in my district can't believe we are spending so much time talking about plastic bags and grocery bags, that issues like crime and homelessness need to be addressed,"

My feelings exactly why waste time on plastic bags when we have more important problems like crmes,

[freespirited]

We should have figured this was coming when Paris instituted the same kind of ban. As France goes, so goes California.

[ryan71]

You could not GIVE me a home in San Fransisco (On condition I'd have to live in it).

[Bonaparte]

"Does this also mean that they will ban condoms?"

Nope. The condumns, dildos, syringes and disposable diapers are considered necessary to survival in that city.

[goldstategop]

San Francisco libs need to make plastic recyclable. That's more important than addressing crime or homelessness. Blithering idiots.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus