Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Paper or plastic?


An article in the Christian Science Monitor reports that in an effort to curb waste and generate revenue, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called for a 6-cent fee for every plastic shopping bag given to shoppers. Under the proposal, for each bag, 1 cent would go to the retailer and 5 cents would go to the city. Officials estimate that the surcharge could bring in $16 million a year, offering a revenue boost to a city that faces a $4 billion deficit over the next two years.The surcharge is technically considered a fee, not a tax, so it needs only to be approved by New York’s City Council, not the state legislature. While this is considered a lower hurdle, the proposal’s passage is by no means assured, according to The New York Times.

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