Opus 2012-3, Green Pieces: Cooking the Frog, Plastic Bags

The Lovers of the Planet have been busy.  Since they know you hate the planet or are too stupid to understand the important issues, they are going to the courts, legislatures and unelected regulators to make sure that you comply.  You have heard of the way to cook a frog is to put one in cold water and gradually turn up the heat.  By the time it knows it is in trouble, it is too late.  I am going to look at how the Greens are cooking the frog. 

Here is my catalyst observation.  I assume it will be followed by others.

Be thankful you are being Saved from the Plastic Bag Scourge.  The Greens are after you plastic bags.  I think they have succeeded in LA County.  I remember reading somewhere that on January 1, plastic bags would be banned in unincorporated parts of LA County.  They could not get it through in the entire state.  Yet.  They could not force in onto the cities.  Yet.  But if you own a grocery store in one of the areas of the county that are not within a city, you now have the added cost of paying for paper bags. 

You may have noticed that the stores have been pushing you to buy your own bags to carry your groceries in.  It is a win, win, win for them.  They make money on selling the bags.  They get free advertising as you carry the bag and use it for other things.  They don’t need to pay for the plastic you used to use. 

The major down side of this is sanitation.  When I get a plastic or paper bag from the store, I can assume that it is a first time use.  I can assume that it is clean and sanitary.  It is one less worry.  When people bring their own bags, who knows where it has been.  This is just another way to spread disease. 

Minor issues are convenience and cost.  I now have one more thing to remember.  If I don’t remember I need to buy another bag.  It will also force me to buy bags to use at home.  Rarely do I throw out those bags.  They are reused.

Is this really a step forward?  I doubt it.  But there are people sitting in their self-righteous, energy efficient offices feeling very good about themselves because they have taken away a little more of your liberty and shown just how powerful they are.

Elections are coming folks.  Vote differently.  It might be time to vote everyone out.  When in doubt vote against the incumbent. 

homo unius libri