Councilor Walker Concerned Abou Social Safety Net....

.....while Comrade Miller and his lackeys are concerned about plastic grocery bags.

Miller's latest nickelhead idea

5 cents plastic bag charge not cost effective at all

By SUE-ANN LEVY, TORONTO SUN

King David Miller, a.k.a. our mayor, was pleased as punch last week when he rode in on his white steed to save the day with his new best friends in the city's grocery industry.

Never mind that he delivered his so-called compromise with the industry to reduce the number of plastic bags used by Toronto citizens in a cold, stinky transfer station -- with scavenging seagulls and a mountain of waste serving as the backdrop. (Oh the possibilities of that scenario!)

It didn't seem to matter one bit either that only a small group representing the largest grocery chains -- Loblaws, Sobeys and Metro -- were there and had signed on to the deal.

All hail the Climate Change King. When he and his minions bring forward their patchwork of proposals -- at council tomorrow -- aimed at reducing the number of coffee cups, plastic shopping bags and take-out containers in the city's waste stream, these large grocery stores will cash in (to the tune of as much as $44 million per year).

Instead of forcing retailers to rebate consumers 10 cents for each refillable bag they provide, Miller said he'll be moving an amendment that will impose a 5 cents fee on consumers for every plastic bag purchased. All retailers will have to play ball, whether they wish to do so or not.

"This is a major step forward in our efforts to reduce the amount of waste," Miller pronounced.

TRASHY

I didn't know whether his statement or the mountain sitting behind us was, to put it mildly, more full of trash.

If there was ever an attempt to punish both retailers and consumers (like me who already use refillable bags and containers) for so little gain, this patchwork of in-store packaging initiatives is it.

If one reads the report to council very carefully, it is quite clear this plan will only increase the city's diversion rate by a scant 1% -- if that.

As solid waste general manager Geoff Rathbone confirmed, the goal is to find 10,000 tonnes (or 1%) of in-store packaging to divert. The proposed initiatives around the three products in the plan -- coffee cups, plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers -- represent about 6,000-7,000 tonnes (or less than 1% of the city's 70% diversion target).

"It's a lot of noise isn't it?" noted Diane Brisebois, president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada.

When asked why not just recycle the plastic bags -- since they will be accepted into our brontosaurus bins starting Dec. 8 -- Miller claimed "source reduction" is a key component of the city's 70% waste diversion goal.

"It is more environmentally sound and cost effective to reduce the amount of waste produced than it is recycle or dispose of it," he said.

Cost effective? Now that's a joke. When has cost ever stopped the Climate Change King from pursuing his "mandate"? A recession doesn't exist at Socialist Silly Hall.

And what price will taxpayers end up paying -- beside the 5 cents for plastic bags -- if these inane initiatives are approved this week?

The move to ban paper coffee cups (with plastic lids) and the plan to force chains to provide a 20 cents discount to those with their own refillable mugs has been sent back to the drawing board until next April. It's anybody's guess what will come of that.

It's also quite clear many Toronto retailers are not on board with the mayor's so-called compromise on plastic bags.

Gary Sands, v-p of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (representing such outlets as Longo's, Highland Farms and Pusateri's) said they're "absolutely not in support of it."

He said over the long-term the large grocery chains could live to regret the compromise since it leaves the door wide open for the Mayor to hike the 5-cent charge.

"On principle we will absolutely not accept council setting prices in stores," he said. "It's not only wrong but illegal."

Brisebois, whose association represents thousands of independent merchants and chains in Toronto, said her members have concerns that if this is imposed on Toronto retailers, it will put them at a "competitive disadvantage" with similar shops in the GTA. "We don't live in a bubble," she said.

Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong fears the proposal has not been well thought out and could land the city in court.

"This is another policy train wreck waiting to happen," he said. "We're on very shaky ground legally and it's the absolute wrong time (economically) to interfere in the retail industry."