Council’s bag bill makes little sense

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 10, 2012

~~<p>The City Council has clearly weakened in its resolve to curb the use of plastic bags in Oahu shops, to the point where the public has to wonder: What would be the point of enacting Bill 10 at all?</p>
<p>The measure, in the version that has passed the Public Works and Sustainability Committee last week, has been watered down and now does not seem designed to accomplish the primary goal of encouraging more environmentally friendly habits among consumers. Meanwhile, state lawmakers have been lagging in pushing forward their own, more sensible approach of assessing shoppers a 10-cent fee for the bags, money that would be directed, in part, to a watershed protection fund.</p>
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The City Council has clearly weakened in its resolve to curb the use of plastic bags in Oahu shops, to the point where the public has to wonder: What would be the point of enacting Bill 10 at all?

The measure, in the version that has passed the Public Works and Sustainability Committee last week, has been watered down and now does not seem designed to accomplish the primary goal of encouraging more environmentally friendly habits among consumers. Meanwhile, state lawmakers have been lagging in pushing forward their own, more sensible approach of assessing shoppers a 10-cent fee for the bags, money that would be directed, in part, to a watershed protection fund. Login for more...