Philosophy
Why is the American Chemistry Council against this proposal? Granted, twenty cents is a bit steep but surely a compromise can be established.
The American Chemistry Council has provided $500,000 to help fight Seattle's plan to charge consumers 20 cents for disposable shopping bags.
Adam Parmer, spokesman for the campaign to turn back the Seattle ordinance, said the money given over the weekend will pay for radio ads and direct-mail efforts against Referendum 1, which goes before voters Aug. 18.
It's the single largest contribution to a local ballot-measure in recent history, according to Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission staff.
The money comes from the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the Virginia-based American Chemistry Council, the prime backers of the Coalition to Stop the Bag Tax, which last year gave the campaign about $239,000.
The campaign began placing anti-bag-fee ads on the Internet over the weekend, Parmer said, and radio ads should start airing this week.
Mayor Greg Nickels proposed and the City Council approved the bag fee to encourage the use of reusable bags and reduce waste. The ordinance was put on hold when opponents gathered enough signatures to put the measure to a public vote.
If voters approve the ordinance, Seattle would become the first U.S. city to target plastic and paper.
Backers of the ordinance said their opponent's cash boost does not alter their plans.
"It's what we were anticipating from the outset," said Rob Gala of the Seattle Green Bag Campaign, which has so far raised about $65,000. "We see that this vote is essentially about one of the world's largest polluters telling a city what it can and cannot do in terms of waste reduction."
The $500,000 deposit is the largest to a Seattle ballot measure in at least a decade. It exceeds two donations of $400,000-plus in 2006 to Seattle Citizens for Free Speech from strip-club operators who fought successfully to repeal the city's strip-club ordinance.
Still, the anti-bag-fee campaign's total of nearly $750,000 falls short of the Free Speech campaign's total for 2006 of $861,000, as well as the anti-monorail Yes on I-83 campaign's total for 2004 of $892,000.
- Economics And "no Need"--printed Phone Books
It was bound to happen...the near elimination of the telephone book, particularly the "white pages". The phone companies wish to cut more costs and raise profits. A lost art... "Phone-book delivery disappearing" by Wendy Koch June 1st, 2011 USA TODAY...
- E. Coli In Dem Thar Plastic Bags...egads!
"Reusable Grocery Bags Contaminated With E. Coli, Other Bacteria" June 24th, 2010 PhysOrg.com Scientists at the UA and Loma Linda University found that reusable grocery bags carry more than just groceries. Samples taken from dozens of bags, which almost...
- California Plastic Bags
"California lawmakers pass bill to ban single-use of plastic bags at stores" by Doug Stanglin June 3rd, 2010 ONDEADLINE The California Assembly has approved a bill that would ban single-use plastic bags at supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores...
- The Voters Won In Seattle Plastic Bag Battle But The War Isn't Over
"Where Recycling Plastic Bags is Mandatory" by Kate Galbraith August 19th, 2009 The New York Times Earlier today I posted about how, despite Seattle voters’ rejection of a 20-cent tax on plastic and paper bags, the bag wars are likely to continue....
- Seattle Bag Battle
Will blood be drawn on this issue? I still think a compromise could be made. "Seattle is front line in grocery bag fee fight" by Phuong Le August 14th, 2009 Google News SEATTLE - Leaders of this famously green city last year passed the nation's...
Philosophy
American Chemistry Council fights a proposed Seattle plastic bag fee
Why is the American Chemistry Council against this proposal? Granted, twenty cents is a bit steep but surely a compromise can be established.
"American Chemistry Council gives $500,000 to stop bag fee"
The American Chemistry Council's latest contribution of $500,000 to the campaign against Seattle's proposed 20-cent fee on disposable shopping bags is one of the city's largest ballot-measure donations in recent history.
by
Marc Ramirez
Seattle Times
The American Chemistry Council's latest contribution of $500,000 to the campaign against Seattle's proposed 20-cent fee on disposable shopping bags is one of the city's largest ballot-measure donations in recent history.
by
Marc Ramirez
Seattle Times
The American Chemistry Council has provided $500,000 to help fight Seattle's plan to charge consumers 20 cents for disposable shopping bags.
Adam Parmer, spokesman for the campaign to turn back the Seattle ordinance, said the money given over the weekend will pay for radio ads and direct-mail efforts against Referendum 1, which goes before voters Aug. 18.
It's the single largest contribution to a local ballot-measure in recent history, according to Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission staff.
The money comes from the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the Virginia-based American Chemistry Council, the prime backers of the Coalition to Stop the Bag Tax, which last year gave the campaign about $239,000.
The campaign began placing anti-bag-fee ads on the Internet over the weekend, Parmer said, and radio ads should start airing this week.
Mayor Greg Nickels proposed and the City Council approved the bag fee to encourage the use of reusable bags and reduce waste. The ordinance was put on hold when opponents gathered enough signatures to put the measure to a public vote.
If voters approve the ordinance, Seattle would become the first U.S. city to target plastic and paper.
Backers of the ordinance said their opponent's cash boost does not alter their plans.
"It's what we were anticipating from the outset," said Rob Gala of the Seattle Green Bag Campaign, which has so far raised about $65,000. "We see that this vote is essentially about one of the world's largest polluters telling a city what it can and cannot do in terms of waste reduction."
The $500,000 deposit is the largest to a Seattle ballot measure in at least a decade. It exceeds two donations of $400,000-plus in 2006 to Seattle Citizens for Free Speech from strip-club operators who fought successfully to repeal the city's strip-club ordinance.
Still, the anti-bag-fee campaign's total of nearly $750,000 falls short of the Free Speech campaign's total for 2006 of $861,000, as well as the anti-monorail Yes on I-83 campaign's total for 2004 of $892,000.
- Economics And "no Need"--printed Phone Books
It was bound to happen...the near elimination of the telephone book, particularly the "white pages". The phone companies wish to cut more costs and raise profits. A lost art... "Phone-book delivery disappearing" by Wendy Koch June 1st, 2011 USA TODAY...
- E. Coli In Dem Thar Plastic Bags...egads!
"Reusable Grocery Bags Contaminated With E. Coli, Other Bacteria" June 24th, 2010 PhysOrg.com Scientists at the UA and Loma Linda University found that reusable grocery bags carry more than just groceries. Samples taken from dozens of bags, which almost...
- California Plastic Bags
"California lawmakers pass bill to ban single-use of plastic bags at stores" by Doug Stanglin June 3rd, 2010 ONDEADLINE The California Assembly has approved a bill that would ban single-use plastic bags at supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores...
- The Voters Won In Seattle Plastic Bag Battle But The War Isn't Over
"Where Recycling Plastic Bags is Mandatory" by Kate Galbraith August 19th, 2009 The New York Times Earlier today I posted about how, despite Seattle voters’ rejection of a 20-cent tax on plastic and paper bags, the bag wars are likely to continue....
- Seattle Bag Battle
Will blood be drawn on this issue? I still think a compromise could be made. "Seattle is front line in grocery bag fee fight" by Phuong Le August 14th, 2009 Google News SEATTLE - Leaders of this famously green city last year passed the nation's...