Bag Tax Possibly Nixed

[kellywebb]

I am starting to like this guy more and more everyday. I hated the bag tax and as I suspected it was being kept by the supermarkets. Miller and the environmentalists must be fuming as Ford slowly takes away everything Miller had shamelessly brought in to nickle and dime us to death.

http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101230/101230_ford_bags/20101230/?hub=CP24Home

I hate carrying around a cloth reusable bag and I NEVER DO!

Funny story- I was at a downtown Sobeys. I was asked by the cashier if I would like a bag and I said please. I only required one bag but as she was packing it a lady behind me looks at me with disgust in her eyes and tells me to think about the planet for a change. HEHEHE I immediately turned to the cashier and asked if she can sell me 20 of the plastic bag. The expression on the ladies face was priceless as she had to wait for the cashier to count out 20 bags as I happily pulled a loonie out of my pocket and smiled like a Grinch ruining Christmas!:666:

If you're are an environmentalist a apologize ahead of time but stay out of my LIFE!

 

[Arti Gupta]

I believe there is an MP trying to pass a private members bill attempting to totally ban the use of plastic bags. I actually find them quite useful to throw in the green box and to pick up after my doggy. I don't think I could poop and scoop without one.

 

[MARIE LOVES SCOTT]

My wife has me trained. My trunk always has at least 10 reusable bags and I get hell if I leave them in the car. I'm use to it now but I agree it was a stupid fee to impose but at only 5 pennies it isn't going to change anyones lifestyle so if it can help environmentally is it really that big of a deal?

 

[hil30]

I actually think the tax is a good idea. I have cut back about 75% on my consumption of bags since it came into effect. Now, I only get plastic bags when I need new ones to line the garbage bin.

I heard on the news last nite that Italy is about to ban plastic bags entirely.

 

[jeremyandrew.king]

The problem with the bag tax was it was only just one more tax grab and did not help the environment in the least. I could understand it if the money was put to use in producing or supplying more recycling stations, sorting facilities, etc (just like the eco fee and the tire tax) but I haven't seen anything like that on the books......in fact, if you go to the waste transfer stations, other than the obvious (appliances/steel/drywall) everything just goes into one big pile.

The thing about plastic bags is that they can be 100% biodegradable. The plastics suppliers put UV inhibitors etc into the bags at the buyer's request. They can also be made from recycled plastic.

As others have said, they fit my kitchen garbage can perfectly and at 5 cents each, are cheaper than purchasing glad bags specific for that purpose.

Same as plastic water bottles. If they want to reduce their impact, put a 5 cent deposit on them and just watch the rubbies collecting them free of charge.

Just to show how fucked up the system is:

A friend of mine invented a fluid dispensing system 20 yrs ago that was initially designed for gas stations to dispense washer fluid, radiator fluid etc. You'd bring your jug in, put it in the machine, and it'd fill it. It was also designed for things like liquid laundry detergent, dish soap, just about any non-food related fluid. Imagine you walk down the detergent aisle in the grocery store and instead of shelves filled with plastic bottles, you just have dispensers.

Then the fluids could be shipped in 50 gallon containers or even better, tanker trucks with compartments for each product.

He went to every municipality, agency, manufacturer and they all said "get stuffed".

 

[kylelovesrootbeer]

I'm single so usually buying one bag maybe two at the most is enough. Then I recycle the 2 bags and use them for another purpose at home.

I think it's a useless 5 cent grab. The thing I found strange was that this was supposedly for Toronto stores only which were under the Miller banner but then all the stores in Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga started following the 5 cent rule. Facts that make one say MMMMMMM. The retailers sniffed out another possible little money stream coming in, well then why the hell not?

 

[the chubbster]

Heard on the radio that Council nixed the idea of deleting the 5 cents charge. But they are putting their effort to make sure it goes to and for the enviromental issues. Funny, even they know the grocery chains are pocketing it.

 

[Feed Me Answers!]

December 31, 2010 5:14pm

Call it a tempest in a shopping bag.

All eyes are on City Hall now that Mayor Rob Ford has publicly mused about abolishing Toronto’s five-cent plastic bag fee.

Ford’s spokesman Adrienne Batra said Friday that the mayor’s office had received several calls and e-mails that day about the bag tax.

The “overwhelming majority” of those calls were people urging him to scrap the bag tax, she said.

Catherine Swift, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said retailers have ended up “getting the short end of the stick” when it comes to the mandatory five-cent charge.

“They’re being criticized for taking it in and making money even though it was forced on them in the first place,” she said.

“I think (the bag tax) has probably got some general support in the population because I would think it has had an impact on people not using plastic bags.”

No matter what decision council makes, Swift said she hopes it doesn’t mean more red tape for merchants.

“I would sure hate to see retailers have to bear yet another absurd paper burden,” she said.

But don’t throw out those reusable grocery bags just yet.

Even if council does kill the bag tax, stores could still charge a fee for bags but wouldn’t face fines for not making customers pay up.

Loblaws, which spread bag fees to their stores across the province when Toronto passed the bag bylaw, charged for them before the bylaw at its No Frills stores.

Julija Hunter, vice-president of public relations for Loblaws, said the company is waiting to see what Toronto does.

“We will reserve comment until a later date when we have further details from the city regarding their plans for the bylaw,” she said.

don.peat@sunmedia.ca

 

[confused guy1-1]

I only hope that once Ford kills the 5 cent charge they will repeal the 5 cent charge everywhere else where they just decided to add it and claim it's "for the environment" .

 

[Jean]

The only thing I hope for is to kill the streetcar idea by these wackos that wanted to create another St. Clair fiasco.

BTW. I gave him my vote of confidence :he:.

 

[TIM_TAM_09]

I love the way that the environment has become a convenient "catch all" for extra charges. Did you know that there is a 8.93 cent charge on every bottle that you buy at the LCBO and then they prang you for another 20 for a deposit? Where do you think that actually goes? Certainly not to environmental issues after one look at the lovely, heavyweight, glossy papered LCBO Food and Drink Magazine.....

 

[ntouchspa]

^^^ same as the tire tax that was supposed to be used to fund tire recycling facilities and development of new uses for them.

Anyone seen any new tire recycling plants crop up? Any new uses of tires? (besides dock rub rails)?

Bueller?

Anything to do with taxes for environmental reasons are just one more way to yank money out of our pockets....(and feed us piss and tell us it's charonnay while they're at it).

You know, just for once, (and I hope ford is the one), I'd like a politician to come right out and say:

I'm going to fuck you.
I'm going to fuck you in the ass and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
I'm going to try and fuck you six ways from sunday before I get voted out.
While I'm fucking you I'm going to hire 200 experts to tell you that I have to fuck you and it's for your own good.
After I'm done fucking you I'm going to tell you you shouldn't complain about it, at least I'm telling you I'm going to fuck you unlike everyone else who has fucked you for years and told you they weren't actually fucking you......at least I'm honest!!!!

 

[Pompal 09.]

Years back I too said that when I politician came right out and said how he was going to screw me and for how much I'd not only support him but work for his election.

 

[Blurry revenginator]

Shit. we're fucked!:grrrrrr:

 

[hippie6irl10]

I would love for to see what the average Canadian household when all of the taxes paid out are combined how much of our pay cheques these bandits really take?

HST, property tax, income tax, sales tax, whatever other tax that's has slipped my mind because I know for sure somewhere I'm am being taxed and I don't even know about it.

YEAH I know the 5 cents isn't touted as a tax but it's still money being taken out of our pockets!!

 

[heidi]

Dan: that's easy, it was 66% up until a couple of years ago. I bet it's higher than that now.

Now that applies to the middle class who pay the lion's share of everything. The upper and lower classes get so many breaks that the rate is dramatically different for them.

I seriously think that politicians won't be happy until they take 100% of our income the way they act sometimes.....

The bag fee IS a tax, in every way shape or form.

The other taxes you missed are:
Road Tax
Tire Tax
A/C tax
Then they added the Toronto Only vehicle tax.

and don't forget any tax applied after income tax, is a tax on tax. For eg: we pay income tax so we can keep some money to ourselves. Then if we want to eat, sleep, drink, or shit, we pay tax on the priviledge to do that.

 

[clade]

That % is only if you earn over $49,000 per year (I believe). Don't forget there is RSP contributions that can make it much lower

 

[Pompal 09.]

^^ exactly, which is middle class....and RSP contributions only delay the tax, not exempt you from it.

 

[Linni]

I too hate the bag tax and hope Ford is successful in getting rid of it.

 

[Diana]

Not really. Once you are older and retired your income is obviously less and will get less deducted as you cash them out. You can also change it into RIFF which is another story.

Let's not forget how much money we've saved by buying RRSP and not paying the high taxes yearly plus some even get money back.