What Next From Comrade Miller......

New Look At Nathan Phillips Square As Planned By Comrade Miller

If you don't goose step to Comrade Millers "Green Plan" will we see large Rs branded on foreheads or possibly armbands with a large R on a yellow background.

City could impose 5-cent charge for plastic bags

Updated: Wed Nov. 26 2008 9:34:28 AM

ctvtoronto.ca

Toronto Mayor David Miller is expected to take another stab at waste reduction Wednesday when he will officially propose a nickel charge for every plastic bag taken from grocery stores.

The mayor has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday morning at the Commissioner Street waste transfer station. It is expected he will make the announcement with supermarket industry executives in tow.

Some grocery stores, such as No Frills, already require customers to pay 5-cents per plastic bag. Many locations offer their customers carton boxes to pack their groceries instead.

This new proposal comes weeks after city councillors sparked a heated debate over a plan to have retailers offer a 10-cent discount to customers who bring their own bag to carry groceries. Other ideas included banning coffee cups or offering a 20-cent discount to customers who brought in their own coffee mug.

Critics panned the idea, saying it was unworkable because it would cost retailers millions.

City council is scheduled to meet next week to discuss a host of ideas meant to reduce waste and tackle unnecessary packaging.

Toronto, as part of its waste-diversion goal, has vowed to divert 70 per cent of the city's waste from landfills. In 2007, Toronto diverted 42 per cent of its waste..

Yoni Goldstein: Toronto's ridiculous new plastic bag laws

Posted: November 26, 2008, 2:01 PM by Yoni Goldstein
Filed under: Yoni Goldstein

Ten days ago, Toronto Mayor David Miller actually came up with a decent idea: In an effort to curb use of environment-destroying plastic bags, he wanted to offer consumers a 10¢ discount to not use plastic bags. That is, each time you go shopping — for groceries, cothing, appliances, whatever — and agree to carry your booty home in your hands, instead of in a plastic bag, you get a couple cents off. That idea would have surely got consumers interested. The discount would have been nothing more than a tiny symbol, but my bet is that customers would have taken it. Especially these days, buyers are likely to take whatever deal they can — even if it means a bit of inconvenience. It could have a win-win situation, for consumers and the environment.

But leave it to Mayor Miller to scrap a good idea for a much, much dumber one. Today, Miller has proposed new legislation to replace the 10¢ idea: Charge consumers 5¢ for every plastic bag they decide to use. Instead of offering an incentive for consumers to not use the harmful bags, the Mayor wants to tax people for using them.

So why the change? To placate businesses, who complained that the 10¢ discount plan would drive up their costs. The 5¢ idea, presumably, will be easier for them to stomach — that's not surprising considering that some discount chains, like No Frills, already charge customer 5¢ per plastic bag.

Admittedly, the new plan will have the same effect as the old one — people will stop using plastic bags — but the Mayor has turned a feel-good story into another case of bad PR. Instead of showing some goodwill to consumers — a sentiment that would most certainly have been appreciated given the economic climate and the upcoming holiday shopping season — Miller has given another slap in the face to Torontonians. What's worse, he's doing so because of the bogus notion that businesses can't handle his original proposal.

Another day, another boneheaded move by David Miller.

ygoldstein@nationalpost.com