On the docket… today, the Santa Barbara City Council will discuss and consider spending $23,000 to conduct a public survey to “take the pulse of local voters about ways to reduce the use of disposable shopping bags (both plastic and paper), including in particular whether they’d vote yes on a ballot initiative to implement a nominal tax at the cash register of large retail stores for each disposable bag taken/used by the customer.”
“The proposal to conduct such a poll was supported by the former City Council last December; at that time they directed staff to solicit bids from polling firms, which they have done. Now the new Council must vote on whether to approve the funds to conduct the poll by the firm chosen by Environmental Services staff. As we all know, the City is in a tight budget situation and the new Council may be less inclined to appreciate the need for measures to address this pressing environmental problem. The up side, however, is that a tax on disposable bags could generate significant General Fund revenue for the City (including for Fire and Police and other important public services) which would help with the current budget crisis.”
Wackos! Tax and fix global warming. WHre’s Al GOre