Friday, December 6, 2013

11/2013 Walnut Creek Councilman Wedel Launched Speak Up For Walnut Creek to Prevent Bag Ban


http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_24429259/walnut-creek-councilman-works-repeal-smoking-rules-prevent

According to the above article posted on 11/1/13, "citing his oath to uphold the Constitution, Councilman Justin Wedel says Walnut Creek voters, not elected leaders, should decide where people can smoke and whether shoppers can choose paper or plastic." 

"Does the effect of smoking out weight private property right? I think No." said Wedel. 

"As for plastic bags, Wedel says the council shouldn't dictate what stores use, and that substitutes would as bad or worse for the environment." 

Gosh! I am so grateful that finally a lawmaker dare to stand up and defy his colleagues to uphold our constitutional right. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are our innate rights protected by constitution. So many city councils and county supervisors have blatantly violated this very fundamental democratic principle and have no shame of what they did. They even pride themselves for their eco-fads action, which in reality hurts the environment. 

You can watch Wedel interview with KTVU here. http://www.su4wc.com/
You can download both initiatives to sign from the website. 

I hope after watching the TV clip on su4wc, you would be as mad as I am. Mayor Cindy Silvia said that "if you want to legislate through ballot box, that doesn't make a very functional government. That is not the form of government we pride ourselves with." Is she saying that she prides herself forcing the will of 5 city councilmembers' onto its citizens? Does she believe that governance is -- of the people, by the people, for the people? With her type of mindset, doesn't she deserved a recall? 

Walnut Creek City Council is already working on the bag ban and has the majority. How very grateful I am that Wedel stands to oppose it and has formed a group called Speak Up for Walnut Creek. He has supporters who will gather signatures, and has so far financed this effort completely on his own, with a lawyer working pro bono helped drafted the initiatives. With eco-fads ran rampant, to turn the tide is no easy task. 

If you read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch, you will abhor how the "environmentalists" pushed their agenda through based on myths and misrepresentations and were shameless of what they did. Their myths have been called out, but that didn't stop them from drumming up the myths and keep on talking. 

On 11/20/13 Councilman Dennis Norton of Capitola wrote:
Nov 20, 2013 at 10:22 AM, Dennis Norton wrote:
Who are the public going to believe,a representitive from the plastic industry or Save our Shores and Surfrider

He did not mention another party; the public who are not stupid.

Wedel intends to put the two initiatives on ballot next June. It need 15% of 65,000 voters signatures, which is 4000. He has 180 days (6 months) from mid-November to collect signatures. 

Speak Up For Walnut Creek need the support from all of us. Justin Wedel has braved it. We must stand up to fight for our rights. So many youngsters, their parents, our teachers were so misguided by the eco-fads. We must rise up and speak the counter points, to bring back sense and sensibility, and push back eco-fads.  

Rise up now. Speak Up for Walnut Creek. And for all of us.

Speak Up for Walnut Creek
626 Joshua Court
Walnut Creek, CA  94598
info@su4wc.com
Phone or text: (925) 899-2535



Wednesday, November 20, 2013

10/2013 Tenino WA tabled Plastic Bag Ban Indefinitely


At the end of Oct'13, Tenino WA City Council has decided to tabled plastic bag ban indefinitely. OMG! I want to get down to my knee and thank God that finally a few Councilmen have cast doubt and called for reasons and investigations instead of blindly following the Pied Piper march and accepting the funky nonsensical claims. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Councilmen.

The original article has been removed.  The above link is a replacement.
Some quotes from the original article:
"At last week’s Tenino City Council meeting, Councilman Dave Watterson said he was in favor of the ban – until he started to delve into the issue.
“I’m probably one of the greener people in here. I try to do environmentally friendly things,” Watterson said. “But when you start doing some research – and I tried to look at a lot of sources, from tree-huggers to the plastic bag industry – from what I’m reading, paper bags are as bad or worse than plastic bags.”
“I’ve completely changed my mind on the whole plastic bag thing,” he said. “It sounds like a great thing, but the answer isn’t going to paper. People aren’t getting the whole story on what’s going on here.”
Reusable bags aren’t a great option either, he said. To see any environmental benefit, Watterson said a reusable bag must be used more than 180 times.
“It’s not as simple as what they show,” he said. “The alternatives are worse.”

And if you want more articles and videos on environmental issues, read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch.

----------------------------------------------
I was once a much better green people, too. I recycled food scrap 2-3 times a week. I had to take out trash only once a week. Now that I no longer have paper bags for food scrap, all the food scrap ended in waste. These days, I have to take the trash out 2-3 times a week. Better?



Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2013/09/30/2750989/tenino-weighing-a-ban-on-plastic.html#storylink=cpy

Saturday, November 16, 2013

11/5/13 Voters of Durango, CO Rejected Plastic Bag Fee


http://durangoherald.com/article/20131105/NEWS01/131109746/Voters-reject-grocery-bag-fee-

On 11/5/13, Voters of Durango, CO rejected the grocery bag fee with votes of 56% vs 44%.

“I'm just happy that the voters in Durango exercised some adult supervision on their extreme and juvenile City Council,” said Kristen Smith, part of the pro-repeal group No Durango Bag Tax. “We worked hard to defeat it, and would encourage other citizens to run for council who think voice of reason should be there to represent the people.”

Thank you, voters, for exercising your rights!
Thank you, No Durango Bag Tax volunteers, for putting it on the ballots.

The bag bans are based on myths and misrepresenatations perpetuated by environment non-profits.
Shame on them all, that they even have the guts to go to schools to mislead our children and high-schoolers.

The ban and fee are bad for:
- businesses: to bag customers purchases is the least of customer services that retailers should provide, especially when it come to discretionary shopping, which is for fun. If it is no fun anymore, why shop? All stores can close, we can all go home!

- residents: Many of us use plastic bags for trash and pet waste. Without them, we will have to buy the much thicker and bigger trash bags. Why is the later better?

- for environment. Plastic bags are the by-product of natural gas, not oil. And they take little to make. Verses paper bags which come from trees. From logging, debarking, chop & dice, add water to make pulp, squeeze water out and flatten to make paper, the whole process takes much more resources and energy and create more greenhouse gases. Why is paper better?

Read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch, I have a collection of articles and videos.

Since Durango City Council is still mourning their loss, you might want to write to them to wake them up to the perspectives of businesses and citizens. They need to wake up from their stupor. At this moment, the only people who are talking and talking are the activists. The City Councils needs to hear from the public and the businesses. Speak up now, before you decide to vote them out. They need to be reminded why they are there in the first place. They are there not for the five of themselves, but for the citizens, who are on top of the organization chart that they might have forgotten. 56% of the citizen has spoken against it. So, please, wake up now, City Council.

This is their contact:
http://www.durangogov.org/index.aspx?nid=169



2013 Is the Year to Support / Donate to Market-Based Solutions



As year 2013 coming to an end, you will be getting a whole bunch of donation requests; calendars, stickers, labels; many of them from environment non-profits. Having suffered a full year or two through this “plastic bags killed thousands of marine lives including seabirds every single year” which is myth taking on the appeal of truth, seeing these funky environmental non-profits humming louder and louder, spreading myths in schools, city councils and state governments, it is time that we say enough is enough.

They, the vocal minority have been having too much fun. They have forgotten the words shame and truth.

It is time that we, the silent majority exercise our will and power, and put our money to work.

Tear off a piece of the calendar; send it back to the president with a note: we can no longer support your organization, if you help perpetuate myths and misrepresentations that are scientifically unsupportable. The bag bans make the retailers pay – for pissing off shoppers. Bagging customer purchases is the least of customer service retailers should provide. Else, the shoppers will just shut their wallets and stay home. They are making consumers pay. I have to buy plastic bags to line my trash bins. I had to argue with Safeway on why I need a “plastic produce bag” – not the “plastic shopping bag with handles” to wrap packages of meat that were leaking meat juice. Thanks to you all.

Media like KQED is asking for your year-end donation, too. It is time to tell them: we need to hear from the other sides; from the consumers and businesses. We do not assume that environment non-profits are angels. They are human. By nature; human has weakness. Human are bias, by the paradigm they grew up with, and by the limitation of their knowledge. We will not take whatever they say at face value. Give us the other side of the story, and we will decide which side is more right. We will support you only if you give us comprehensive stories; i.e. when the voices from both sides covered.

If you want to donate; it is time to support organizations that promote market-based solutions as listed below. The world is not black and white. We are dealing with usage of resources – they are by nature scarce. It is always about trade off. And priorities change over time, too; for we do not go all the way to solve a problem one hundred percent, with last few percents causing an exorbitant amount of money.  A lot of time, when it is good enough, we want to move on spending our precious money solving the next bigger problem; that is what market based solutions do. When we allow market to play out, organizations / businesses see the problems/opportunity will try to meet the needs in the most efficient way. Their reward is their very survival or profit. A lot of innovation / progress were driven by market-based solutions; such as the development of battery used in hybrid or electric cars. Products / solutions might take decade to improve; such is the case with battery. We do not solve a problem overnight with emotional appeal, or media sensation, or myths, or hypes. Development is a slow; gradual, decade-long commitment in continuous research and improvement, which finally deliver the superb products. 

Please support these organizations instead. Dig deep and donate the most that you could:
-  Cascade Policy Institute, Portland – ran by John Charles who had ran The Oregon Environmental Council for 16 years, who grew disillusioned by the leftist ideological, comfortable, ineffective policies that hurt the environment (http://cascadepolicy.org)

I challenge you read these books, and to gift them away as Christmas presents; to educate our people, to make them informed decision makers / citizens.

- Eco-fads: how the rise of trendy environment book is harming the environment, Todd Myers, 2011
- The Skeptical Environmentalist, by Bjorn Lomborg – Lomborg “using data from United Nation, Lomborg found the litany of environmental concerns so repeated in the media were flawed and exaggerated.”
- The Green Wave, Bonner Cohen – how the environmental non-profits channel hundred of millions of dollar each year to promote their causes
- The Honest Broker, Dr. Roger Pielke Jr – on the interplay of science and politics, how we tend to be most comfortable making decisions based on what is most comfortable (our personal values) vs. the least comfortable (complex scientific analysis)
- Green-Collar Jobs, Alan T. Durning, 1999

And books on how liberals are silencing free speech:
1. The Silencing: How the left is killing free speech, by Kirsten Powers
2. The Intimidation Game: How the left is silencing free speech, by Kimberley Strassel.
3. Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth, by Sharyl Attkisson.

Donate! Support a great cause!

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Anti-bans Contraband; We Are Thousands Bloggers Strong


The anti-bans contraband has arrived. We will be thousands bloggers strong. Wherever the bag ban supporters go, we will be right behind. We will call out myths & misrepresentations. We will tell opposing view points. We will keep talking until this madness stop, and until the previous damages be reversed.

Remember the prohibition time back in 1920, when alcohol was evil for moral and health? To have a drink, one had to seek out underground speakeasies? Bootleggers were prosecuted. Effective enforcement was difficult. Without widespread public support, it resulted in the growth of criminal activities. It ended in 1933, a good 13 years!

Now that the bag ban and fee are sweeping across our cities and counties. Plastic bags were persecuted fervently as if they were the greatest evil on earth -- the bags which we use to take our purchases home, which we use again for our garbage and pet waste. Doesn’t it feel like déjà vu all over again? So you really think that our governments know better? And the green people know better? That they are our better selves that we shall defer to? Really? I so don’t think so.

Read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch. Just 2 articles by Carson Bruno and Todd Myers and the video: Are You Being Told the Truth About Plastic Bags will convince you otherwise. Sad that these view points were not widely broadcasted.

With the ban madness sweeping across our states and took down city-by-city, our opposing voice felt like a drop of water into the big ocean. But, we must keep faith. This is about staying power. It is about where the public, the majority stands. To give you faith --
I have seen some 20 – 30 protesters blocking 2 branches of traffic at the neck of a Y junction. A pedestrian stood at the end of a block re-directed the traffic to detour. In less than 10 minutes, the blockage was lifted -- the public was with lone ranger.

How many shoppers you saw paid and walked out with bags? You think they were with the ban supporters and with the city governments that forced the law upon them “to shape their behavior for the greater good”? They ignored the law and grudgingly paid.

At this moment, the green people, the activists with a job that pays them for what they do can keep pushing their agenda and earn their keep. But we, the public, we are of much larger population. Even if just 1% of us speak up and stay on – we can stay on forever, we will be louder and stronger. Don’t you think?

We are the greatest democratic country on earth! Law is of the people, by the people, for the people. How could we grudgingly take it without utter a sound of objection? How can we do it to ourselves?

We are the anti-ban contraband! We are the speakeasies of 1920s! I hope that when this onslaught ends, we can looking back and laugh with fascination:
“Alcohol was evil?” “Our wine is world class!” “Our wineries are gorgeous!”
“Plastic bags are evil?” “Merchants are not supposed to bag my purchases?” “Is it not part of customer service?” “What about my trash?”

To be an efficient blogger, here is what you need to do:
  1. Create a nickname. You will use it for blogging and for leaving comments on news / articles. Nickname such as Antibanblogger1, Antibanblogger2, Antibanblogger3, Antibanblogger1000, etc.
  2. Create a new email account; to keep it separate from your personal and professional lives, since every thing is tied to your email account.
  3. Create a new facebook and twitter accounts
  4. Start blogging on blogger.com. Once a blog is published, you can facebook and twit the same blog many times
  5. On facebook, like and make friends. Each time I shared information related to a specific city, I searched for libertarians and republican parties and members in those cities; for these people hate government intervention. Be mindful to not over-do it. Facebook recommends that you make friends with only people you know, else, send a message first. Anyhow, I did it and have so far made 70+ friends all over the States. We were strangers hating this coercive law.
  6. Stay away from hostile social websites – you will find out soon enough which sites are dominated by unruly rude people – especially the young crowd. Facebook, twitter, TV and newspaper are safe sites where you can comfortably leave comments and direct traffic to your blog.
  7. Email City Councils and County Board of Supervisors regularly – biweekly, monthly. Feed them information you find. I use my personal email and name for this purpose since they are official document.
  8. Write to retailers; be it the general managers of local stores or CEOs of the corporations such as Nordstrom, Macys, Gap Inc, Saks Firth, Tiffany that we, the shoppers will boycott shopping bag fee and hold out as long as we can. They need to do their part in putting some senses to the city governments. You can find the CEOs’ names and addresses on Yahoo-Finance page.
  9. Write to newspapers, TVs and radios that we need to hear the opposing view from the plastic bag industry and market based think tanks such as Washington Policy Center. The green people should not have monopoly to media. We need check and balance. We need to hear from the other side now.
  10. Share your blog with friends and families if they are with you. Else, forget about them. I saw people just bury their heads in the sand and refuse to even read the articles from the opposing side. Save your energy.
  11. It is year-end and you will soon receive many calendars and donation requests from environmental non-profits. Lots of them. Write to them: If you support some funky non-profits just to take my plastic bags away, not only I will not give you money, I will tell everybody to not give. The donation money now goes to Market Based Solution such as Washington Policy Center until sanity is restored.
  12. Don’t waste time talking to rocks. They are dead.
  13. Connect with like-minded who can lend moral support. I was a lone ranger from for a good nine months, until I was connected with Craig from Save Our Choice in Seattle, WA and Don from Stop The Bag Ban in San Jose, and Judy from Seal Beach, So Cal. We have wonderful, long distance friendship. We fight hard. We are in this together.

Craig, Save Our Choice, Seattle, WA

Don, Stop The Bag Ban, San Jose, CA

Anthony, Fight the Plastic Bag Ban, Ventura, Ca
fighttheplasticbagban@gmail.com

Kristen, No Durango Bag Tax, Durango, CO
info@nodurangobagtax.com
https://www.facebook.com/nodurangobagtax
Kristen and her friends have successful repealed the ban early Nov'13.
What a power website she has! It maximizes the power of social media and fund raising.

And me, Terry, San Francisco, CA
repealbagfee@gmail.com
blogger. Enthusiast.






Thursday, October 10, 2013

On 10/8/13 San Diego Is Proposing Plastic Ban Ban. Encinitas & Palm Desert Will Be Next.



On 10/8/13 San Diego City Council is proposing to adopt for and 10c per bag fee. Palm Dessert and Encinitas are working on the bans, too.

The ban and fee are bad for:
- businesses: to bag customers purchases is the least of customer services that retailers should provide, especially when it come to discretionary shopping, which is for fun. If it is no fun anymore, why shop? All stores can close, we can all go home!

- residents: Many of us use plastic bags for trash and pet waste. Without them, we will have to buy the much thicker and bigger trash bags. Why is the later better?

- for environment. Plastic bags are the by-product of natural gas, not oil. And they take little to make. Verses paper bags which come from trees. From logging, debarking, chop & dice, add water to make pulp, squeeze water out and flatten to make paper, the whole process takes much more resources and energy and create more greenhouse gases. Why is paper better?

Read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch, I have a collection of articles and videos.

Write to the City Councils now. At this moment, the only people who are talking and talking are the activists. The City Councils needs to hear from us; the public and the businesses. Speak up now before it is too late.

City Council of San Diego:
http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/

City Council of Encinitas:
http://www.ci.encinitas.ca.us/index.aspx?page=98

City Council of Palm Dessert:
http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/Index.aspx?page=147


Sonoma County, Petaluma Are Under Pressure To Adopt Plastic Bag Bans


Sonoma County and cities in the county are under tremendous pressure from the activists to adopt the plastic bag ban and bag fee to be applied to ALL stores.
The ban and fee are eco-fads, based on myths and misrepresentations. They are bad for:

- businesses: to bag customers purchases is the least of customer services that retailers should provide, especially when it come to discretionary shopping, which is for fun. If it is no fun anymore, why shop? All stores can close, we can all go home!

- residents: Many of us use plastic bags for trash and pet waste. Without them, we will have to buy the much thicker and bigger trash bags. Why is the later better?

- for environment. Plastic bags are the by-product of natural gas, not oil. And they take little to make. Verses paper bags which come from trees. From logging, debarking, chop & dice, add water to make pulp, squeeze water out and flatten to make paper, the whole process takes much more resources and energy and create more greenhouse gases. Why is paper better?

Read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch, I have a collection of articles and videos.

At this moment, it is only the activists who are talking and talking. Write to the County Supervisors and City Councils now. You will be glad that you come to their defense, which is much needed from all of us.

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors:
http://supervisors.sonoma-county.org/content.aspx?sid=1001&id=1000

Sonoma City Council:
http://www.sonomacity.org/default.aspx?PageId=438

Petaluma City Council:
http://cityofpetaluma.net/cclerk/council.html

Santa Rosa City Council:
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/government/council/meet_the_council/Pages/default.aspx


On 10/9/13 Olympia, WA Adopted Plastic Bag Ban. Lacey Will Be Next.



On 10/9/13 Olympia, WA adopted Plastic Bag Ban. It will go for final vote probably next week. Mostly ceremonial.And Lacey will be next.

http://plasticbagbanreport.com/tumwater-plastic-bag-ordinance/
And according to the article above, on 10/11/13, Tumwater adopted the ban and 10c fee to be applied to ALL stores effective 7/1/14.

All these are SO disappointing.

The ban and fee are bad for:
- businesses: to bag customers purchases is the least of customer services that retailers should provide, especially when it come to discretionary shopping, which is for fun. If it is no fun anymore, why shop? All stores can close, we can all go home!

- residents: Many of us use plastic bags for trash and pet waste. Without them, we will have to buy the much thicker and bigger trash bags. Why is the later better?

- for environment. Plastic bags are the by-product of natural gas, not oil. And they take little to make. Verses paper bags which come from trees. From logging, debarking, chop & dice, add water to make pulp, squeeze water out and flatten to make paper, the whole process takes much more resources and energy and create more greenhouse gases. Why is paper better?

Read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch, I have a collection of articles and videos.


At this moment, it is only the activists / environmentalists who are talking and talking. Write to the City Councils now that this is totally eco-fad based on myths & misrepresentatiion. You will be glad that you come to their defense.


Olympia City Council:
http://olympiawa.gov/city-government/city-council-and-mayor.aspx
You can sign a petition to Olympia City Council here:
http://www.bagtheban.com/take-action


Lacey City Council:
http://www.ci.lacey.wa.us/city-government/city-council/city-council-2/meet-the-lacey-city-council

10/1/13 Homer, Alaska - Voters Overturned Plastic Bag Ban


https://fighttheplasticbagban.com/2013/10/05/citizens-of-homer-alaska-overturn-plastic-bag-ban/

The above article states that on 10/1/13, voters of Homer, Alaska cast their votes overturned plastic bag ban which was passed in 2012!

Hurray! The world rejoice! Another great news to dance to!

Let more City Councils see that we DO NOT like the ban. We want our PLASTIC back!


Monday, October 7, 2013

On 10/1/13 Santa Barbara Enacted Plastic Bag Ban. Goleta Will Be Next. Many Cities To Follow


http://www.independent.com/news/2013/oct/01/city-council-enacts-plastic-bag-ban/

According to the article above, on 10/1/13, Santa Barbara enacted plastic bag ban to go into effect in 6 months on big supermarkets and pharmacies. 6 months afterward, it will be applied to small food stores also.

The cost of Environment Impact Report (EIR) of $66,000 was shared by 7 coastal cities in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Besides Santa Barbara are: Carpinteria, Goleta, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, I think. "To date, the City of Santa Barbara is the first to approve the EIR, but the County of Santa Barbara is currently in the process of drafting a very similar measure, and activists are pushing the City of Goleta to begin the process, as well. The City of Carpinteria passed a much more restrictive measure two years ago but has since suffered legal setbacks in the courts."

The ban and fee are bad for:
- businesses: to bag customers purchases is the least of customer services that retailers should provide, especially when it come to discretionary shopping, which is for fun. If it is no fun anymore, why shop? All stores can close, we can all go home!

- residents: Many of us use plastic bags for trash and pet waste. Without them, we will have to buy the much thicker and bigger trash bags. Why is the later better?

- for environment. Plastic bags are the by-product of natural gas, not oil. And they take little to make. Verses paper bags which come from trees. From logging, debarking, chop & dice, add water to make pulp, squeeze water out and flatten to make paper, the whole process takes much more resources and energy and create more greenhouse gases. Why is paper better?

Read my 8/13 blog: To Read and To Watch, I have a collection of articles and videos.


At this moment, it is only the activists / environmentalists are talking and talking based on myths and misrepresentation. Write to Counties of Ventura & Santa Barbara, and all the cities in these 2 counties. You will be glad that you come to their defense. 

Board of Supervisors of Santa Barbara County:
http://www.countyofsb.org/government.aspx?id=624

Board of Supervisors of Ventura County:
http://www.ventura.org/board-of-supervisors

City Council of Santa Barbara:
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/cityhall/council/default.asp 

City Council of Goleta:
http://www.cityofgoleta.org/index.aspx?page=137

City of Oxnard:
http://citycouncil.cityofoxnard.org/3

City of Port Hueneme:
http://www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=319
Email the city council: councilwebmail@cityofporthueneme.org

City Council of Ventura:
http://www.cityofventura.net/about/citycouncil


Sunday, October 6, 2013

Tuesday Evening 10/8/13, San Jose Will Do Final Vote On Modification of Bag Ban



On this coming Tuesday evening 10/8/13, San Jose will do final vote on amending plastic bag ban that take effect 1/1/14 that bag fee will remain at 10c instead of rising to 25c. The 10c bag fee will be imposed on all reusable/thick plastic bags, which are currently free.

Email San Jose City Council that you oppose 10c bag fee be imposed on ALL reusable bags. Also, you oppose bag fee be imposed on ALL retailers especially on small merchants and retailers who sell discretionary items such as clothing and accessories. It burden smaller merchants for the 10c per bag is not sufficient to cover their cost for the paper bags. And they are facing shop lifting problem. The fee on retailers selling discretionary items turns off shoppers who expect it as part of customer service. 70% of our economy comes from good old fashion consumer spending. We do not want to turn off shoppers which hurts our economy. 

Also, PLEASE CONSIDER joining several folks from StopTheBagBan on Tuesday night at the city council meeting to speak for 2-3 minutes. Please email Don at stopthebagban@gmail.com if you are available to speak.

Please read my blog on 8/13: To Read and To Watch for articles and movies on this "evil" plastic bag issue.
The more facts you can provide, coupled with personal experience on what you saw and did will make you a more persuasive speaker.

Council members Khamis and Constant are against the bag ban (and will likely vote against this on Tuesday night). The other council members support the bag ban.


SJ City Council’s emails:
Or for you convenience, they are listed here:
For the bag ban (or likely for the modifications):
Mayor Chuck Reed: mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov
District 2: Mr. Ash Kalra: District2@sanjoseca.gov
District 3: Mr. Sam Liccardo: District3@sanjoseca.gov
Disctict 4: Mr. Kansen Chu: District4@sanjoseca.gov
District 5: Mr. Xavier Campos District5@sanjoseca.gov
District 6: Mr. Pierluigi Oliverio: pierluigi.oliverio@sanjoseca.gov
District 7: Ms. Madison Nguyen: District7@sanjoseca.gov
District 8: Ms. Rose Herrera: rose.herrera@sanjoseca.gov
District 9: Mr. Donald Rocha: District9@sanjoseca.gov

Against the bag ban:
District 1: Mr. Pete Constant: District1@sanjoseca.gov
District 10: Mr. Johnny Khamis: District10@sanjoseca.gov



Friday, October 4, 2013

Congratulations to Issaquah, WA & Save Our Choice on Repealing Bag Ban


On 10/3/13 King County Department of Election has completed verification of the signatures submitted for Issaquah Initiative Petition on the Repeal of Plastic Bag Ban and Paper Fee, and a Certificate of Sufficiency has been issued.

Didn’t it make you want to cry? Especially if you have been hating it and working hard to get it repealed? With the wildfire of plastic bag bans sweeping across our nation, don’t you want to put a halt on it and call for reasons, investigations, and evaluations of the bans and fees?

You might not know; this was a long and hard won victory by Craig, Valerie and several dedicated volunteers from Save Our Choice (saveourchoice.us). They sacrificed summer and many leisure evenings. They spent 6+ months on the streets, knocking door-to-door to turn in 3600+ signatures. It came back early September short of 370, and was given 10 days to make up the deficiency. Every evening, they drove to Issaquah on their own expense and knocked on doors again to get more signatures, to register voters, or to get mismatched registrations corrected. They braved rain and darkness and got the work done. With this kind of determination and tenacity, they could move mountain! We really need to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their hard work and sacrifices.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Below is a poem from Craig Keller in response to Seattle Times endorsing legislature action banning bags statewide, or at least "harmonizing" regulations for those cities which vote in these coercive laws. That, along with his studying MacBeth with his daughter, inspired him to write this letter to the editor -- which understandably, was not published.  
(Fairview Ave. is the Seattle Times' address.  Olympia is the state capitol city at the southern tip of Puget Sound.) 


Oh! oracle of Fairview,

Whence my plastic-bagged news daily flows,

Are the gods of Olympia those who only know?

 Anon! see it arrive clean and dry through fog and filthy air!

Were it not, what reader remnant swift would disappear? 

Oh Titan! drop not our orb of fragile blue,

When learnt all wisdom rises not from that Olympic slough.

Yea, though tomorrow and tomorrow your delphic vapors intoxicate,

Be it a vote, by the people, for the people, we come to celebrate.



Yes! Come to celebrate with Save Our Choice on 10/13/13 from 4pm – 10pm at a dinner party.
Contact: craig@saveourchoice.us for more info.

And make sure you come out to vote in 2/11/2014.
It is a very rare opportunity; a hard fought victory by We, The People.



Monday, September 9, 2013

Are You Being Told the Truth About Plastic Bags?

Lawyer Stephen Joseph -- from Sueing Oreo Cookies to Defending Plastic Bags

Paper or Plastic? A Lawyer's Answer Sends Him From Hero to Pariah  

By VAUHINI VARA, Wall Street Journal, 3/28/11

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704396904576226823248251548.html

The above is a very fair and unbiased write-up.
This is what we need from journalism, from our public radio and TV, to point out the actual biases or potential biases from both sides, and let the readers decide.

Attorney Joseph went from sueing Oreo cookies over trans-fat to now defending plastic bags. He is the author for Save the Plastic Bag.com which has many writings on environment, litter, landfill and reports from other countries such as Britian and Scotland, and rebuttals on myths, misrepresentation and deceptive photos. Mark his web site and come back for some serious scientific reading. There are quite some video footage documenting the actual researches.
 
He has sued many cities in California over the plastic bags ban and for lack of environmental reviews on the bans.

I love his 6 minute movie here: Are You Being Told the Truth About Plastic Bags?
It is the counter part of the movie Pacific Garbage Patch.
Watch it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdQUzxp9Mfw#action=share

or directly on this site: 
http://www.plasticbagmovie.com/

You might find it both educational and -- amusing. :)




Sunday, September 8, 2013

On Now: Petition Drives To Repeal Bags Bans in Campbell

http://www.mercurynews.com/campbell/ci_23497414/campbell-becomes-latest-bay-area-city-ban-single 

The article above states that on 6/19/13, Campbell voted to adopt plastic bag and 10c bag fee to be imposed on ALL stores effective 1/27/14. The 10c will go up to 25c on 1/1/2015.

I am so thankful that after Issaquah, WA submitted 3400+ signatures to repeal plastic bags ban on 8/30/13, StopTheBagBan.com in south bay is launching a petition to repeal the bags ban. To go against this feel good tide of eco-fads, the task is daunting and unpleasant. I am grateful that some people took the plunge. I can only admire their determinations and sacrifices -- yes, sacrifices -- for I, too have given 100+ hours of labor and postage writing to lawmakers in various cities and states.

StopTheBagBan.com needs volunteers and donations to hire paid signature-gatherers. It must turn in 10% voters signature by mid December'13. Please ask all your friends, family who are registered voters in Campbell to sign. You can print out the petition here, or forward it to voters:
http://stopthebagban.com/documents/CampbellBagBanRepealPetition.pdf

I just set up a donation link on a crowd source funding site:
http://www.gofundme.com/4a39xs
Please donate $5, $10, $15, $20 or whatever amount you can.
Right below your name, you can check the box to donate anonymously.
I have so far forwarded $75 to them.
Or you can send a check directly to the address listed at the bottom of the petition page.

Pay to: Stop the Bag Ban
P O Box 20422
San Jose, CA 95160

The founder recently did a 30 minute TV interview with The Conservative Forum of Silicon Valley.
http://www.theconservativeforum.com/the-right-side.htm
We can all connect with the Conservative Forum of Silicon Valley on Facebook.

The 26 min interview has been posted on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaSWeLjk-5M

Besides Campbell, the group is now driving a referendum to force City of Los Gatos to retract its plastic bag ban. They must get 10% of registered voters signatures, approximate 1850 in 30 days, to be submitted before 10/7/13.Go to www.stopthebagban.com or email: stopthebagban@gmail.com for the petition.

Folks, we are in this together. If you are mad for being forced to live with this law, please do some things and support our effort.

We can not afford to sit quiet and let the feel-good greenies screw up our business community, our economy, our lives and environment with this over simplified solution. Every thing is interconnected. What is simple? I don't know how paper bags are better than plastic bags while the former take a lot of natural resources and energy to produce and create more greenhouse gases, and the later take little to produce. I don't understand why big and thick trash bags are better than the thin-film plastic bags for trash. Do we stop having to take out trash from now on? And why having to buy trash bags are better than reusing the plastic bags we used to get for free? I also don't understand why the retailers should not bag our purchases as part of customer services? If they don't, why should I want their merchandise?

The green-consultants have benefited from this eco-fads. They are fattened by public sector on environment and waste-management issues, and corporations on creating eco appeal. We can not afford to now let them move on to "solving" our global warming problem after they screw up our climate with this false "solution". Stay out, that is what they need to do!

And for those who works with environmental non-profits who have perpetuated myths and misrepresentations, they should bow their heads in shame, and get down to their knees and ask their gods for forgiveness, and quit their jobs as apologies to the public and to our planet!

If you go to my 8/13 blog: "to read and to watch", you will understand why I say so.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please feel free to reach out to us. We need troopers. If you would tell us how you can help; with time to email / write, money, labor that would be wonderful. Or just being there for us, will give us much of the needed moral support to press on:

stopthebagban@gmail.com -- San Jose, CA -- Larry & Don understand how city councils work very well.They spoke out at city hall public hearings. If you are ready to do so, please connect with them.

craig@saveourchoice.us - Seattle, WA -- Craig is a real pro. He has successfully completed 4 petitions drive in Seattle, Shoreline and 2 times in Issaquah, WA. Issaquah took him 6 long months to get all the initial signatures in. A long and hard fought battle with victory at the end. 

http://fighttheplasticbagban.com - Tony, Ventura, CA -- Tony is a pro, too.He spent hours writing each document. Check out his documents.

repealbagfee@gmail.com -- SF, CA -- Terry, me -- enthusiast, blogger who refuse to keep quiet. I want the supervisors, city councils and lawmakers hear me out.

Foes of Issaquah plastic-bag ban submit signatures to repeal it

Foes of Issaquah plastic-bag ban submit signatures to repeal it.
The Seattle Times.

The article above states that on 8/30/13 Issaquah, WA, Craig Keller of Save-Our-Choice has submitted  3400+ signatures on repealing plastic bags ban to the city clerk. The signatures have to be verified next.

I just talked with Craig Keller (9/18/13) that the validation came short of 370 signatures. He needs to turn those in in 10 days. Time is getting tight. If you know of any body who are registered voters or who resides in Issaquah, please spread the words and ask them to go to www.saveourchoice.us or email Craig at craig@saveourchoice.us now.

I was encouraged by SaveOurChoice.us taking the effort to drive a petition and succeeded in getting actually 3600+ signatures! Let's do the final push and get it on the ballots and let the voters vote!
If after the vote, we shall lose even by .01%, we will accept the result!
That is how law is supposed to be made!

Since everything costs money, let's make a donation to Save-Our-Choice to help the fight. We will fight city-by-city, county-by-county, state-by-state to take our lives back. Let us cross the city or state line and help each other so that we emerge strong:
http://saveourchoice.wordpress.com/contribute/
The address is P O Box 321, Issaquah, WA 98027

Do we have global warming? Yes? How is replacing plastic bags with paper bags help? Paper bags create more green house effect!

Are we now going to reward the same green advisors who advocate these bags bans to help us "solve" our global warming problem? That will be quite good business for them -- never ending problems to solve.

---------------------------------

In 3/2013 Texas Representative Drew Springer filed HB2416 "Shopping Bag Freedom Act"
to ban this kind of bans. We need to enact law like this in every single state to stop this craziness. 

Email Rep. Drew.Springer@house.state.tx.us to urge him to push it through!


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

To Read and to Watch


Movie Time: Watch them on YouTube:

Are You Being Told the Truth About Plastic Bags?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdQUzxp9Mfw 
It is the counter point of Pacific Garbage Patch. It calls out the good-people-in-green-capes who perpetuate myths and misinformation.

From  Tree To Paper. How Paper Is Made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmgMdDH14sE

How Is It Made Plastic Bag:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CfL5xl2N1Q 

How Plastic Bags Get Recycled:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6hzhKmw4EY

Todd Myers' presentation of Eco-Fads at Seattle Rotary Club on 3/7/12:
http://vimeo.com/38131740

----

Now, some readings. You should read through the first 4.


By Hoover Institute; Generate ideas for a free society, Stanford University - Pros & Cons ton Plastic Bag Bans:
AB158 / SB405 Spotlight on CA Statewide Plastic Bag Bans

By KQED - Are Plastic Bag Bans Actually Helping the Environment?
https://www.kqed.org/news/11461251

By University Oregon, Chemistry professor David Tyler answers the age-old Question, “paper or plastic?”
http://cascade.uoregon.edu/fall2012/expert/expert-article/

The Heartland Institute, IL has posted this 2011 study by UK Environment Agency:
Title: Plastic Bag Fears Based on Misquoted Study
https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/plastic-bag-fears-based-on-misquoted-study

Article comparing paper bags vs. plastic bags with numbers:
http://www.nashvillewrapscommunity.com/blog/2008/04/paper-bags-versus-plastic-bags-real-numbers/

Article by Reasons.com; Free Minds and Free Markets -
Plastic Bags are GOOD for you


By Library of Economic Liberty -
Slaying the Myths of Plastic Bags

Article on Wall Street Journal: Should Cities Ban Plastic Bags? Presenting pros and cons from both sides:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444165804578006832478712400.html

Todd Myers, Director for Environment, Washington Policy Center, WA - White paper on Eco-Fads: How The Trendy Environmentalism is Harming the Environment
http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/library/docLib/eco-fads-introduction.pdf

And Todd Myers' 2011 Book: Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism is Harming the Environment

Bagtheban.com is a coalition of plastic bag companies. It has many great articles and researches -- if you are into more hard data / facts. Well, the bag-bans supporters will simply brush it off. But, may I ask, "Is it only the prosecutors who are allowed to speak? Can the defendants presents their case?"

The web site; SavethePlasticBag.com no longer exist. It was by Stephen Joseph; the legal counsel of plastic industry, which make him an easy target.
It used to contain many very well written articles, supported by hard facts / actual researches and results, coupled by videos documenting the effort. They scientifically refute many of the myths & misrepresentations about plastic bags. Plastic bags are NOT hard plastic, just remember.

The medias feed us info they want us to see. It is NOT the whole story. You can read these books to understand what is going on:
- The Silencing: how the left is killing free speech by Kirsten Powers.
- The Intimidation Game: how the left is silencing free speech by Kimberley Strassel.
- Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth by Sharyl Attkisson.



Friday, August 23, 2013

NYC is considering plastic bags ban and fee


http://plasticbaglaws.org/legislation/state-laws/
This week, 8/20/13, NYC is considering plastic bags ban and bag fee, sponsored by Brooklyn Council Member Brad Lander and Lower Manhattan Council Member Margaret Chin. They need 26 votes to pass the bill, and is aiming to pass before year end. It now has 9 Council Members on board.

Help me write to NYC Council Members to not follow California's silliness.

New York City Council:
http://council.nyc.gov/html/home/home.shtml
http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

According to this article:
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2013/08/8533033/return-new-york-city-plastic-bag-fee
NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn is the person who decides which bill comes to the floor to be debated. Write to her also:
http://council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/contact.shtml

Plastic bags ban and bag fee are bad for:

businesses -- bagging customers' purchases is the least customer services retailers should provide, especially when it comes to discretionary shopping which is for pleasure. If it is no fun anymore, why should we shop? All stores can close. We can all go home!

environment -- paper bags come from trees. From logging, debarking, chopping and dicing wood, add water to make pulp, squeeze water out and flatten to make paper, the whole process creates more greenhouse effect. Global warming is our greatest environment threat. So why is paper better? Save a tree! Use a plastic bag!

residents -- many of us use plastic bags for trash and for pet waste. And we use paper bags for recycle. Without these thin plastic bags, we will have to buy much thicker and bigger trash bags. Why are the later better? And why should we pay for paper bags so that we can recycle?

NYC should have better sense of sensibilities.

I like this counter point:
NYC has Heftier Concerns Than Plastic Bags
http://hamodia.com/2013/08/25/nyc-has-heftier-concerns-than-plastic-bags/

New Yorkers, show the world you can think with your brains and see with your eyes!
Don't just blindly follow Californians -- the loud ones have gone cuckoo for being too loud and too sure of themselves.

Read my 8/13 blog: To Read & To Watch and you will know why the ban is bad for the environment.

If you want to follow the progress of the activist group pushing the ban, this is the link:
http://plasticbaglaws.org/

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Resources On Fighting Back - Organizations In This Fight


These are the organizations that are fighting the plastic bag bans:

Save the Plastic Bag, by Stephen Joseph, the legal counsel of the plastic industry:
SaveThePlasticBag.com
Many very well written articles here supported with scientific researches and video clips which refute many popular myths & misrepresentation. 

His 6 minutes movie; the counter part to the movie Pacific Garbage Patch:
http://www.plasticbagmovie.com/

bag the bans!

Many well written blogs here from a variety of sources / individuals who provide insightful perspective in plastic!
Email: info@bagtheban.com

http://www.bagtheban.com/take-action
On this link you can sign the petitions to 10 cities at different states.
Let us all get together and fight back!
We must fight to take back our cities, our counties, and our lives!
It has a huge collections of studies; scientific studies and videos.

Fight the Plastic Bag Ban (based in Ventura, So Cal):
fighttheplasticbagban@gmail.com
http://fighttheplasticbagban.com/downloads/
Click on the follow button near the bottom of the page.  That way you can be notified by email anytime something is posted.  They have written many papers which took hundreds of hours of research.  Their articles are written around different perspectives of the bag ban issues.  

Save Our Choice (based in Seattle, WA):
http://saveourchoice.wordpress.com/
Craig Keller on 8/30/13 turned in 3400+ signatures to Issaquah, WA to repeal the bag ban.
By the end of Sept'13, he has successfully drove 4 repeal petition in Seattle, Shoreline, and 2 times in Issaquah. 

Stop The Bag Ban (based in Campbell) tells us what we can do:
http://stopthebagban.com/What-you-can-do.php
Surprisingly I have done everything that is listed. We are on the same page.
In Sept'13 They are collecting signature to repeal the bans in Campbell and Los Gatos. 
Click on Home Page to download and sign the petition. Spread the words. Get all registered voters to sign.
You can help with time and money, too.

Save Our Bags (based in San Jose):
http://saveourbags.com/index.php

No Durango Bag Tax (based in Durango, CO)
http://www.nodurangobagtax.com/
info@nodurangobagtax.com
Kristen and her friends have successful repealed the ban early Nov'13. What a power website it is! It maximizes the power of social media and fund raising.






Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Diana Diamond, Mercury News - Lockstep March to Ban Plastic Bags



The above article is titled: Lockstep march to ban plastic bags by Diana Diamond, on Mercury News 2/6/13
She is a columnist with Daily News. Her email is: diana@dianadiamond.com

I can’t agree more with Diana Diamond. This is what our brains are for – to think, to seek information and to understand. This is why our eyes for – to see what is and is not out there. We are not to follow blindly just because “everybody” says so. Who is "everybody"?
So many city councils in SF Peninsula have blindly adopted the plastic bag bans and bag fees.  They have brought great detriment to their business communities and residents. I sure can’t help to not shop for food and basic necessities. But when it come to discretionary spending, I just shut my wallet and don’t even wander into the stores. A council member wrote to me that I should be able “to plan to shop better in future.” Really? Do you plan when to have sex? Do you bring your recycle bag to bag away your fancy clothes? What is the fun of it? If it is no fun, why do I spend my precious money so that the city can get a share of the sales tax? So I asked people to boycott shopping at towns and cities that have adopted the ban. Shopping used to be my most favorite past-time. I was so turned off that it no longer is.

I am disappointed by the City Councils and Board of Supervisors for following blindly, for fueling these eco-fads, just to gain some easy political scores. Just when you think that "Oh. Well. 10c is 10c." Do you know that effective 10/1/13, S.F. will impose the same law on all restaurant take-out food? Can you imaging bringing your recycle bag to bag away your take-out food? And effective 7/1/2014, this 10c will go up to 25c.

You can read the ordinance here:
http://sfgsa.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=8151


S.F. Supervisors John Avalos and David Campos were so proud that S.F. will have the most extensive ban that covers restaurants effective 10/1/13. They even called for a statewide ban. Too bad they don't own a business or restaurant. Now David Campos is now running for CA Assembly office. Can we put him in State office? And if it is such a great law, why are non-profits and governmental agencies exempted? They should be the first ones that jump on the bandwagon. It is injustice so blatantly practiced with no repercussion. Less government is what we need. We need to put more business-friendly leaders in city and state offices.

Real scientists vow to the unbiased principle. Real scientists do not advocate and will not become activists. Those who advocates -- are not real scientists.

According the the website above, on the week of 8/19/13, El Cerrito is set to vote on the plastic bag ban and bag fee. Help me write to the council members to vote No.

City Council of El Cerrito:

Los Gatos has recently adopted the ban. Stopthebagban.com is now driving a referendum to force the city to retract it. They need to turn in 10% voters signatures by 10/7/13. Please spread the words. Sign the petition on their website now.

We can not afford to let the greenies dominate the media outlet. We must talk back. Even though it feels like a drop of water into the big ocean, keep faith that the ripple will spread. There are many other cities and states that need our help.

Stay away from the coastal cities and SF Peninsula. Spend your vacation in inland gold countries and north instead. Say good bye to Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, Carmel, Monterey, all the cities in the Peninsula which include San Jose, Palo Alto and L.A. Say Hello to Emeryville, Nevada City / Grass Valley, Murphy, Sausalito, Sonoma and Petaluma. All these are charming towns. Humboldt and Calaveras are beautiful with giant redwood trees. While you switch plan, do write to the city councils (Google “city council of xxx city”) why you are not going there – for you want to support other cities that have better senses. They deserved your money.
The above link; California Against Waste provides good updates on the progress of ban and fees in cities throughout California.






Sunday, July 7, 2013

SB405 - Statewide Plastic Bags Ban was defeated on 5/30/13

http://cawrecycles.org/whats_new/recycling_news/may30_bagbillupdates

As you may know, SB405 Senate Bill on statewide plastic bags ban was voted on 5/30/13. It was defeated with 18-to-17 votes, 3 votes short to pass. Whew! We were that close to a statewide ban!

For those of you who have picked up the phone, emailed and wrote to your Senators, a big Thank You! Your voices count! We could not afford to sit quiet and let the green people who thought they knew it all to screw up our lives, our businesses and our communities.

What we need to do now is to continue to write to cities, counties, states governments especially if they have not adopted the bans. They must not follow the silliness of this eco-fad.  These governments are under tremendous pressure from green people who bowed to and maybe even benefit from these eco-fads -- selling their green expertise and collecting green consultation fees from private and public sectors, and those who work with non-profits who want to justify their pay checks. We must stand firm, talk back and push back.

And the least you can do -- do not donate to environmental non-profits.  In removing fuel, there is nothing more effective than cut their funding. Without fund, they will not be able to hire or retain staff; especially young adults who happily, blindly follow whatever false "solutions" that the bosses and their peers hum loudly. The so-eager-to-help-and-say-the-same; the typical the king's new shirt phenomena has fed the self-interest green consultants who know how to do businesses with the State and local governments very well.

Real scientists vow to the unbiased principle. Real scientists do not advocate. Real scientists will not get involved in activism. Those who advocate -- are not real scientists. 

I was at Petaluma Premium Outlet this July 4 weekend. What a relief to not be harassed by this "Do you want a bag?" It is 10c a bag." My husband and I bought a Nautica watch for less than $100. We walked into Coach. It was storewide 50% off the lowest price. You can buy a pretty bag for less than $80,  compared to the normal $400 or more. And they were fashionable. Banana Republic has storewide 50% off sales, too. I bought a nice polo shirt for my inlaw for $8. And we got bags! bags! bags!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Petaluma! I love you!

We were in Sonoma a week or two before, and walked into this nice household / kitchen items store and bought a few items. We got a bag! No fees! No fees! No fees!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Sonoma! I love you, too!

The green people can continue look hard into their oceans to see their imaginary plastic bags -- Oh! My God! They are swimming like blue jelly fishes in our big clean seas! and work hard to prosecute them. They are aero-dynamic. Oh! My god! They are flying all around our big blue skies! They are dotting our tree branches like bright blue and orange lanterns! And cut down more trees to make more paper bags. And why does Santa Cruz charges only 25c per bag? Why not $25? or $250? That will really put Santa Cruz on the map and does its businesses in real well. And Santa Cruzians and its city council can sing loudly that they are the greenest and proudest citizens on earth!

My dear fellows and I -- we will go north to North Bay, inland to Gold Countries, and to other states such as Nevada and Florida that are business-friendly and have better sense of sensibilities, and better things to do. We live! We enjoy lives! And we enjoy spending our money, shopping and vacationing the way we like! Amen!