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



3 comments:

RepealBagFee said...

Nov 17, 2013 Marbury, Sweetie wrote:

I read your articles. I watched your movie.
I find you to be insulting.

In Durango people from the city and the county came to Council and asked us to make a change.
Yes, there was a vote in Durango.

I just came back from the grocery store and saw many men and women carrying reusable bags.

The plastic bags that jam the sewer system in Durango are not going away. The plastic bags on the fences, in the trees, and on the trails are not going away. The plastic bags that fill our landfills are not going away.

I suggest you become aware of the many states that have some type of ordinance and recognize that not everyone agrees with you. Washington, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Santa Fe New Mexico, Bisbee Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Iowa, Alaska, Hawaii, California, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, Maryland, Colorado, and Massachusetts recognize the problems with litter, landfills, and sewer problems.

Sweetie Marbury
Mayor Pro Tem
City of Durango

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And I wrote:

Insult is -- when the city council passed the ban 4-1 in August super-imposing their will on its 17000+ residents.

Insult is --when the voters voted 56% to 44% on repealing the ban in Nov, and the city council still couldn't see it.

Insult is -- when the city council forgot that democracy is: of the people, for the people, by the people; that the votes belong to the people.

Insult is -- when some 70 to 80 cities and counties all did that; super-imposing the will of a handful to a dozen lawmakers on its people. They acts were regarded as right, while they robbed its citizens of their rights.

Insult is -- when the media is dominated by the greenies who perpetuate myths and misrepresentations, and were given full coverage, without the counter-points being given the same opportunities.
Insult is -- when the citizens and business communities called for reasons and coverage. Their voices was not broadcasted.
Insult is -- when aggressors claimed to be victims.

Shall I go on more?

RepealBagFee said...

Nov 18, 2013, Avalos, John john.avalos@sfgov.org wrote:

Thanks for sharing. I’m concerned the entirety will be choking from plastic getting into everything and destroying our planet.

John

RepealBagFee said...

Nov 20, 2013 at 8:13 AM, Dennis Norton wrote:
Just a mater of time, they will be banned in the whole state.
The next generation is already thanking us.
No room is California for this type of pollution
95% conformance in Santa Cruz County
Very little complaints
Next "Plastic bottles".
Dennis Norton
"For a Clean healthy California"
Where is Durango County?

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Nov 20, 2013, I wrote:

Wait till the voters go their turn to vote!
We are coming, councilman.

Terry

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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.
Its interesting that Capitola has overwelming support for this bag ban.
It a done deal and supported by the public.
End of conversation.
Thanks Dennis Norton