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Author Topic: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?  (Read 4219 times)

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Offline bijou

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Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« on: July 28, 2008, 02:04:05 PM »
Quote
Bill McBlueState  (1000+ posts)      Wed Jul-23-08 02:59 PM
Original message
Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
 Advertisements [?]http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

I totally understand the need to reduce waste from shopping bags. But proposals like the one in LA (see the linked thread) force people to either (1) shell out at least a few dollars' worth of quarters every month or (2) buy an array of reusable bags. Obviously this will be harder for some people than for others.

I'm on a really tight budget right now, and while I could probably *manage* to adjust to a ban on free grocery bags, it certainly wouldn't make things any easier.

Am I nuts for thinking there could be a way to maintain the environmental benefits of a bag ban without it becoming yet another way to nickle and dime poor people?

  OK, extra points for thinking about unintended consequences.

Quote
gateley  (1000+ posts)      Wed Jul-23-08 03:04 PM
Response to Original message
3. A lot of cities are giving out free reusable shopping bags. nt
Quote
Bill McBlueState  (1000+ posts)      Wed Jul-23-08 03:06 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. That's the way to do it...
 Hopefully they aren't making people supply a stack of paperwork to prove they need the free bags, which I could see happening. It would be pretty easy to give a supply to the local WIC office to distribute.
Your tax dollars at work.

Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jul-23-08 07:01 PM
Response to Reply #4
14. What are you going to do about the IMMENSE amount of plastic wrapping that is thrown out by 
 companies???

It amounts to much more.

Or is it just much more fun to target people who can't afford it?
 
Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jul-24-08 10:03 PM
Response to Reply #18
22. Thanks, Bill, for caring and understanding!
 I've come to the point of giving up on DU with regard to poverty.

It has become VERY CONSERVATIVE here, and people are often HATEFUL towards poor people... even more so than REAL conservatives!!



I appreciate your concern, I really do!
 
Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jul-23-08 07:00 PM
Response to Reply #3
13. Which helps homeless people....how????
 When you don't even have a place to store NECESSARY items, where in hell are you going to store bags????

I could go on.

YOU think it's a great idea, because it's not a problem for YOU.

It's definitely time for O for the P..... Preferential Option For The Poor.
Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jul-23-08 07:02 PM
Response to Reply #7
16. Do you know many poor people who shop at Whole Foods?
 Could you all TRY to think about poor people?
link

Just a few of bobbolink's many replies, for a homeless person she sure spends a lot of time on the internet.
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Offline Bondai

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2008, 02:17:02 PM »
It's homeless? with internet service? How does that work out?  :loser:
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Offline Willow

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2008, 02:17:45 PM »
Quote from: bijou on July 28, 2008, 02:04:05 PM
Quote
Bill McBlueState  (1000+ posts)      Wed Jul-23-08 02:59 PM
Original message
Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
 Advertisements [?]http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

I totally understand the need to reduce waste from shopping bags. But proposals like the one in LA (see the linked thread) force people to either (1) shell out at least a few dollars' worth of quarters every month or (2) buy an array of reusable bags. Obviously this will be harder for some people than for others.

I'm on a really tight budget right now, and while I could probably *manage* to adjust to a ban on free grocery bags, it certainly wouldn't make things any easier.

Am I nuts for thinking there could be a way to maintain the environmental benefits of a bag ban without it becoming yet another way to nickle and dime poor people?

  OK, extra points for thinking about unintended consequences.

Quote
gateley  (1000+ posts)      Wed Jul-23-08 03:04 PM
Response to Original message
3. A lot of cities are giving out free reusable shopping bags. nt
Quote
Bill McBlueState  (1000+ posts)      Wed Jul-23-08 03:06 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. That's the way to do it...
 Hopefully they aren't making people supply a stack of paperwork to prove they need the free bags, which I could see happening. It would be pretty easy to give a supply to the local WIC office to distribute.
Your tax dollars at work.

Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jul-23-08 07:01 PM
Response to Reply #4
14. What are you going to do about the IMMENSE amount of plastic wrapping that is thrown out by 
 companies???

It amounts to much more.

Or is it just much more fun to target people who can't afford it?
 
Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jul-24-08 10:03 PM
Response to Reply #18
22. Thanks, Bill, for caring and understanding!
 I've come to the point of giving up on DU with regard to poverty.

It has become VERY CONSERVATIVE here, and people are often HATEFUL towards poor people... even more so than REAL conservatives!!



I appreciate your concern, I really do!
 
Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jul-23-08 07:00 PM
Response to Reply #3
13. Which helps homeless people....how????
 When you don't even have a place to store NECESSARY items, where in hell are you going to store bags????

I could go on.

YOU think it's a great idea, because it's not a problem for YOU.

It's definitely time for O for the P..... Preferential Option For The Poor.
Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jul-23-08 07:02 PM
Response to Reply #7
16. Do you know many poor people who shop at Whole Foods?
 Could you all TRY to think about poor people?
link

Just a few of bobbolink's many replies, for a homeless person she sure spends a lot of time on the internet.



when she could be out looking for a job then she wouldn't be a "poor people" I've heard it all now, gov. subsidies now to provide for non disposable shopping bags.. hey! she could go into business making shopping bags!
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Online Texacon

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2008, 02:53:29 PM »
Have you noticed how many times the word FREE shows up in that thread?  There must be a thousand plastic bag manufacturers just giving away their product ..... all their employees must be hippies who live on love alone. 

Jeez.    :thatsright:

KC
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Offline Zeus

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2008, 03:01:40 PM »
Just a thought but I'd be willing to bet most homes have about a dozen or more grocery or other stores plastic bags stuffed into a drawer or cupboard at home. Finally may have a use for them.
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Offline bijou

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2008, 03:05:14 PM »
Quote from: Zeus on July 28, 2008, 03:01:40 PM
Just a thought but I'd be willing to bet most homes have about a dozen or more grocery or other stores plastic bags stuffed into a drawer or cupboard at home. Finally may have a use for them.
I use mine as trash bags.  I read somewhere that when this policy started in Ireland, the use of plastic shopping bags dropped and was matched by the rise in sales of plastic trash bags.
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Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2008, 03:07:57 PM »
Quote from: bijou on July 28, 2008, 03:05:14 PM
Quote from: Zeus on July 28, 2008, 03:01:40 PM
Just a thought but I'd be willing to bet most homes have about a dozen or more grocery or other stores plastic bags stuffed into a drawer or cupboard at home. Finally may have a use for them.
I use mine as trash bags.  I read somewhere that when this policy started in Ireland, the use of plastic shopping bags dropped and was matched by the rise in sales of plastic trash bags.

My wife and I use them as trash bags as well, and we put Oreo's used litter into them too.
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Offline jtyangel

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2008, 03:08:55 PM »
Quote from: BlueStateSaint on July 28, 2008, 03:07:57 PM
Quote from: bijou on July 28, 2008, 03:05:14 PM
Quote from: Zeus on July 28, 2008, 03:01:40 PM
Just a thought but I'd be willing to bet most homes have about a dozen or more grocery or other stores plastic bags stuffed into a drawer or cupboard at home. Finally may have a use for them.
I use mine as trash bags.  I read somewhere that when this policy started in Ireland, the use of plastic shopping bags dropped and was matched by the rise in sales of plastic trash bags.

My wife and I use them as trash bags as well, and we put Oreo's used litter into them too.

People around here use them all the time to pick up dog poo when they are walking their pooches. I use them in the bathroom trash cans.
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Offline Toastedturningtidelegs

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2008, 03:12:25 PM »
Quote from: jtyangel on July 28, 2008, 03:08:55 PM
Quote from: BlueStateSaint on July 28, 2008, 03:07:57 PM
Quote from: bijou on July 28, 2008, 03:05:14 PM
Quote from: Zeus on July 28, 2008, 03:01:40 PM
Just a thought but I'd be willing to bet most homes have about a dozen or more grocery or other stores plastic bags stuffed into a drawer or cupboard at home. Finally may have a use for them.
I use mine as trash bags.  I read somewhere that when this policy started in Ireland, the use of plastic shopping bags dropped and was matched by the rise in sales of plastic trash bags.

My wife and I use them as trash bags as well, and we put Oreo's used litter into them too.

People around here use them all the time to pick up dog poo when they are walking their pooches. I use them in the bathroom trash cans.
They make good lunch sacks too!....I know........ I'm white trash! :-)
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2008, 03:13:13 PM »
BAGS?!? How can they even afford food in this horrible Bush economy???

 :fuelfire:
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Offline bijou

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2008, 03:15:29 PM »
Quote from: DumbAss Tanker on July 28, 2008, 03:13:13 PM
BAGS?!? How can they even afford food in this horrible Bush economy???

 :fuelfire:
They need something to keep the leftover popcorn in.
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Offline jtyangel

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2008, 03:24:55 PM »
Quote from: Toastedturningtidelegs on July 28, 2008, 03:12:25 PM
Quote from: jtyangel on July 28, 2008, 03:08:55 PM
Quote from: BlueStateSaint on July 28, 2008, 03:07:57 PM
Quote from: bijou on July 28, 2008, 03:05:14 PM
Quote from: Zeus on July 28, 2008, 03:01:40 PM
Just a thought but I'd be willing to bet most homes have about a dozen or more grocery or other stores plastic bags stuffed into a drawer or cupboard at home. Finally may have a use for them.
I use mine as trash bags.  I read somewhere that when this policy started in Ireland, the use of plastic shopping bags dropped and was matched by the rise in sales of plastic trash bags.

My wife and I use them as trash bags as well, and we put Oreo's used litter into them too.

People around here use them all the time to pick up dog poo when they are walking their pooches. I use them in the bathroom trash cans.
They make good lunch sacks too!....I know........ I'm white trash! :-)

I must be too then. I have been known in moments where I have to get out of the house quickly to utilize them for snacks and drinks for the kids. I make my daughter take them for school when she 'misplaces' her lunchbox.  :uhsure:

They make a handy 'side' trash bag too. I hang one from the kitchen drawer when peeling potatoes or doing a lot of cooking that will create refuse. Much easier then dumping it all in the big trash can.
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Offline Miss Mia

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2008, 03:35:45 PM »
Quote from: Bondai on July 28, 2008, 02:17:02 PM
It's homeless? with internet service? How does that work out?  :loser:

She says she uses the library's computer to get on DU.


Quote from: BlueStateSaint on July 28, 2008, 03:07:57 PM
My wife and I use them as trash bags as well, and we put Oreo's used litter into them too.

I use them as trash bags and for litter.

Quote from: Toastedturningtidelegs on July 28, 2008, 03:12:25 PM
They make good lunch sacks too!....I know........ I'm white trash! :-)

Yep, I use mine for that as well.  :)
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Online jukin

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2008, 03:41:46 PM »
The answer, of course, is to charge more for the bags and give them to 'the poor' for free.
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Offline JohnnyReb

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2008, 03:43:54 PM »
The homeless don't need a bag.....they got shopping carts.
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Offline Willow

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #15 on: July 28, 2008, 04:14:26 PM »
Quote from: JohnnyReb on July 28, 2008, 03:43:54 PM
The homeless don't need a bag.....they got shopping carts.




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Offline miskie

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Re: Will grocery-store bag fees be a problem for poor people?
« Reply #16 on: July 28, 2008, 04:28:53 PM »
What a stupid argument.

Reusable canvas bags are everywhere nowadays, and usually sell for a dollar each. even the most poor can afford to get a couple of them here and there, and once they amass about 20, they'll have enough for a large grocery trip for an average size family - and never have to worry about a 'sin tax' placed on plastic grocery bags.
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