A new 5-cent tax on shopping bags (Maryland Liberal insanity)

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=3c4a9e5c-b856-4c4f-b052-d7ae0fdbbab1&rrurt=1&rrcontrolId=ratCntrlBinary ^ | 1/21/2012 | MSM money

[Morgana]

We now have to pay a 5-cent tax for each paper or plastic shopping bag we get at stores in Montgomery County, Maryland. And I've already gotten suckered into it twice on opening day. (This new tax went into effect Jan. 1 -- kind of like my free Wendy's Frosties, only it doesn't require me to bring my own cups!)

I remember when the bag trend hit Washington, D.C., a couple years back, where everyone was charged 5 cents every time they needed a bag for purchases of food and alcohol (including, as luck would have it for me, Subway). It seems now it's spread to the great state of Maryland too. Which is good and bad.

Good because obviously we're trying to save the environment here and many of us like nabbing those bags left and right without a care in the world (or at least I used to).

Bad because now it's costing us every time we do it. And double when you extra-bag it for milk and other heavy items at the grocery store -- quickly making your total add up. (I think on our last trip we used like 25 plastic bags, which would have come to $1.25.)

[just me]

That can get costly when the ding-bat packing your food uses 10 bags when you only needed 5.. I get that all the time... Tax Tax and more TAX...

[blueunicorn6]

Here at harvard university, we pride ourselves on looking into the future to determine the educational needs of our students. We see a tremendous future in the world of bags, so we are proud to announce our newest discipline, BAGOLOGY.
Here are some of our courses:

BAG 101 IDENTIFYING BAGS, M-F, PROF JOHNSON - Learn how to differentiate between plastic, paper and cloth bags.

BAG 201 COUNTING BAGS, MWF, PROF OBAMA - Learn which numbers fall after 1.

BAG 301 FINDING THE BEST RESORTS IN THE CARIBBEAN, MWF, PROF BIDEN - All inclusive or pay as you go? Professor Joe shows you the best way to spend the taxpayer’s money for fun in the sun!

BAG 401 HOW TO RAISE THAT TAX EVEN HIGHER, M-F, PROF PELOSI - Prof Pelosi shows you how you can afford that big BMW by simply crying and complaining.

[Vendome]

This whole “Bag Tax” Stuff is Crap.

I have been to the store several times in this new year and I refuse to add to our city’s revenue demands.

Last night I went shopping and probably could have used 3 or 4 bags.

Skip that.

I took the shopping cart and dropped all the food in the car.

I ain’t playing the fascists game.

[Vendome]

Oh! and our tax per bag, paper bags, is .10 cents.

Doesn’t seem like a big deal until you think it through and consider how many bags people need in a day, week and month.

The Fascists make out on this no matter what.

The get revenue for each bag purchased times the number of people shopping. Hell, they are helping the grocery stores create a new revenue stream, like the airlines.

When we don’t purchase bags they can justify that as well. “Why, our ideal situation is to reduce landfill, deforestation, etc.”

Can’t fight city hall with a ridiculous mindset like that.

[musicman]

I agree!!

(OBTW, I want to thank you for all your absolutely wonderful inventive and insightful postings you have created and posted on FR!!! Great work!!!)

[GAB-1955]

What I mean is the idea of stopping loose plastic bags from getting into waterways, not the tax. I stated clearly I thought the tax was a bad idea.

[Joe the Pimpernel]

We need to personally tax lawmakers for every new law that they pass.

[Pharmboy]

Great stuff...thanks for posting.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Find an Aldi's. Buy some bags. 5 cents for paper 10 cents for plastic. Get the plastic ones. They're over sized and durable thick and durable and will last a long time.

I'm still using some from 2 years ago.

[FrdmLvr]

Kill another industry by putting them out of business.

[Titan Magroyne]

bmfl