Mayor's hand picked Executive Committee

Comrade Miller in deep thought......

City's 'green' schemes all about money

Even for the folks who run Toronto City Hall, this is a bizarre one. And that's saying a lot.

It's their latest looming decree that coffee shops and restaurants -- private businesses -- must give a state-mandated discount to anyone who brings in their own cup for take-out coffee.

Ah, but not just any discount.

Council's green schemers say it must be a 20c discount, as opposed to, for example, Tim Hortons, which now gives a voluntary 10c break on the price.

Another looming decree will require all businesses which provide plastic bags to their customers to give a 10c per bag discount if customers bring their own refillable bags.

All of this allegedly in the name of waste diversion.

In reality, it's the same "logic" behind all city "green" initiatives -- for example the new garbage collection system.

That is, make people pay more in higher taxes, hidden fees and increased consumer costs for less service, under the pretence it's to save the environment.

In theory, green schemers argue, businesses will eventually do whatever arbitrary thing it is the government wants -- this time to eliminate plastic lids from paper coffee cups and hand out fewer plastic bags. Consumers too, they insist, will eventually bring their own.

Do the green brigades have any proof this will work, or how it will impact on the city's policy to get waste diversion up to 70% within two years?

Of course not. As for reaching 70% diversion, let's not even get into all the fun with figures you can have when determining what the waste diversion rates are, other than to note there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.

These latest initiatives, if passed by council, will simply mean most consumers will end up paying more for coffee and consumer goods.

Why? Because when businesses face increased costs due to arbitrary government action, they raise their prices.

If the green schemers at City Hall coming up with this nonsense had ever run a business, instead of dictatorially interfering with them, they'd know that.