Letters to the Editor
Misdirected correctness
Dear Editor,
The Mammoth Lakes Town Council passed a law banning retailers from providing “single-use” plastic bags effective March 1, 2016.
Retailers can and do continue to sell an assortment of plastic bags. The justification provided for this action was that it will reduce the negative impacts on the environment in some general and broad way. No references to any scientific studies to support the ban were provided.
Our Town Council included a provision in the law making it illegal for stores to give out “free” paper bags! Instead they must charge a minimum of 10 cents for a paper bag which cost the retailer much less. If the goal was to get rid of plastic bags, why not just ban plastic bags? Why is our Town Council mandating what a private retailer charges or doesn’t charge for a product?
Because this way the stores save on not supplying previously free bags and they can get the government to strong arm their customers to pay an inflated 10 cents a bag. Follow the money – the very definition of crony capitalism.
