Plastic Bag Fee Less Than Welcomed

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced plans to charge a six-cent fee for every plastic bag taken at the register. While good for the environment, some New Yorkers still don't like the idea.

1 minute read

November 12, 2008, 8:00 AM PST

By Judy Chang


"At the 2000 N.Y. Deli on Second Avenue at 103rd Street in East Harlem, the owner, Sammy Ali, 30, said his customers would balk at paying for plastic. 'No way,' Mr. Ali said on Thursday. 'They ask us for plastic bags for free as it is. When we say no, they curse us out. They demand a bag for a 25-cent bag of chips.'

At Citarella on the Upper West Side, a customer, Anita Ramautar, said she would begrudgingly change her behavior, if only to deny the city the pleasure of collecting the money. 'I'll bring my own bag," she said. "Why would I give them 5 cents?'"

"Some residents, meanwhile, complained that the timing of the plan could not have been any worse, given that the mayor recently announced plans to raise property taxes earlier than expected, cut financing for a host of programs and possibly raise the sales or income tax."

Thursday, November 6, 2008 in The New York Times

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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