Bag Ban: Round 2

Hello friends.  Just a few weeks ago, I changed the focus of "Save the Bag: Los Alamos" to just "Save Los Alamos" with the intention of expanding the focus of the group.  In addition to focusing on environmental and sustainability issues, start focusing on issues the County Council and State Legislature were working on that affect our community. I believe the more information the better.  I'd like to have smart discussions with people and help people find answers to their questions.


No sooner had I changed the name and focus of the group, the same old issue, namely banning shopping bags, reared its ugly head.  In 2015, when the County Council rejected a ban, I knew this issue would be back.  Our good friend Jody Benson, president of the Rio Grand Sierra Club, said as much.  It was a promise, not a threat.  And man, did she and her friends keep their promise.  Not only do they want to ban shopping bags, they also want to ban drinking straws and styrofoam containers.  A triple threat.


When I saw the story in the Los Alamos Reporter I was quite upset. Obviously because we've fought this before.  But more than that, I don't want to do it again.  I have different things going on in my life right now.  Spending time in long ESB and County Council meetings is not what I want to do.  I told my husband what was going on, and he said it's a lost cause this time. Sadly, I have to agree.  These radical environmentalists have sympathizers on the Council, and these types of bans have been aggressively pushed all over the country. 

As with most things, the more people are doing it, it seems like more people want to participate.  I knew it would be rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, but I felt I needed to go and say my bit, for the sake of the cause, and to let the Council know that despite their one party monopoly, there are a lot of people who did not vote for this, and who do not want this, and they must take into consideration all viewpoints with this issue.

This petition was filed by Ann LePage. She stated she and other members of the Los Alamos Garden Club, the Methodist Women's Group, and League of Women Voters thought it was time to "apply the power of government" to do more on this issue.  See the petition here.

In her presentation she stated many "facts".  I felt like she really hadn't delved deeply into the issue of banning things.  She stated that plastic bags end up in the oceans, and block sewer drains and so on.  While that is true, in some cases, bags from Los Alamos do not end up in the ocean.  Most of the plastic pollution in the ocean comes from China.  A ban in Los Alamos is not going to affect anything on a global scale.  She also mentioned perhaps the Council could impose a fee/tax on plastic bags, which if you were involved in the 2015 debate, you know is illegal and violates the anti-donation clause of the state constitution.  But for her, what it really came down to was an emotional plea to save the world.

When she sat down, the Councilors started to speak, and ask questions.  Some of the issues raised and questions asked included:

• Legal definition of "single use plastic bag", with an indication that it might include the bags you put your produce and meat in.  There was also mention of banning coffee stirrers, plastic packaging.  I can't even understand the hubris involved to demand a national chain like Kroger (or any other business) change their packaging.
• There was an issue of when to study this, and who would study: the Council or the ESB?
• The ESB has a heavy work load right now and Robinson didn't want to load them down with another thing that might distract them from their current work with the Save (Pay) As You Throw program.  Israelevitz argued that the County Staff would be over burdened with this.  In the end they split the difference -- 3 Councilors will work with the ESB.
• Maggorie brought up the issue that cutting recycling and not having a composting program is where the real issue is here.  I agree with that. 
• He was also very concerned about the impact of any bans on business.  I'm also concerned about that.  No one should lose their livelihood because a small group of people are trying to virtue signal.
• Several councilors wanted to see if the County could incentivize restaurants and businesses to "go green".  There were several suggestions that the County might subsidize businesses who would be greatly impacted by switching away from styrofoam.  This troubles me and is one reason I don't support bans.  Let business make their own decisions.  If I were running a business I wouldn't care to be graded on my "greenness".  
• The over all consensus is that we have to keep talking about this issue, and that they were all glad that the petition was brought forth.

There were seven people who made a public comment in favor of the ban.  And then there was me -- the gal you love to hate, Bag Lady Me!  

The public comments were predictable, emotional, sometimes quite demeaning towards those who do not support a ban.  Jody Benson just about came unhinged in her comment.  A personal note on her comment, because part of it was directed to me personally. "It's only fair that 'consumers' pay for what they use."  Of course I'm a consumer with all of my children ... who one day will grow up, and work hard, and pay for your Social Security.  Don't knock the big families -- we will be the ones who save the world.  She has zero clue that other people might live differently than she does. Several of the commentors also wanted the County to provide "compostable plastic bags" or to make sure Smiths was selling paper straws.  Guys, I can't even with that.  There are somethings the County shouldn't be doing for you.  If you want paper straws ask a Smiths employee, or buy them online.  Whenever I hear the sentence, "The County should be doing/providing/promoting..."  I just want to scream, "Nothing"  The County should be doing nothing.  

After the comment time, the Councilors again went back and forth about what to do.  Here is where I will give them a big gold star.  They were not all in favor of this petition, as presented.  I found that I agreed with Councilor Maggorie's position that we had to consider the impact on businesses, because sometimes pennies matter.  He also stated that you cannot legislate people into to doing the right thing, which I also agree with.  And there I would have said, so we're going to drop this and move on.  He wants to bring back weekly recycling pick up and to add a composting program. I would support both of those things -- even at the expense of other things in the County budget {ahem, I'm talking to you art in public places committee}.

After about 20 mins of trying to figure out the wording they voted. The final vote was this: To require the County Council staff, and 3 Councilors to assist the ESB to research a plastic bag ban, research the cost of adding weekly recycling pick up and the cost to add a residential and business composting program.  In addition, to also research ways to incentivize business to go green, and ways to help business via public/private partnerships (ie: subsidies and/or grants) to transition away from styrofoam.

Sheehey: Yes

Schmidt: Yes

Robinson: Yes

Israelevitz: No

Maggorie: Yes

Ryti: Yes

Scott: Absent

Shopping bags, drinking straws and styrofoam will be banned in Los Alamos County within the next 12-18 months.  I actually expect to see this issue come up in the 2020 Legislative session too.  I think the Council is very open to these bans, because they believe in the environmental rhetoric.  The real issue will be how these bans are implemented and to what extent these items will be prohibited in Los Alamos County?  Will they go as far as to ban Smiths from selling straws and styrofoam picnic plates?  Will they allow restaurants to have straws on demand?  Will they try and tax paper bags at the store?  I don't know.

That said, I don't believe in bans.  Period.  Let people decide what they do.  I would just like lots of information, education, and options.  If the County were to return to a weekly recycling pick up and to implement a composting program I think that would have more impact on reducing waste than these bans.  But, that's not what people want to hear or believe.  

I will keep abreast of the issue, however, this is not the hill I'm going to die on this time around.  If other's want to get invovled, I encouage you to do so.  The Council and even the electorate needs to understand that there are a lot of people who think differently on this.  The Council represents not just the Ds, but the Rs, the Ls and the DTS in town.  To those that support this ban, get out of your echo-chamber and realize that you are asking the County government to impose, to force and to mandate that the rest of the town adopt your habits, your beliefs, and your wishes.  We all need to be very wary of these kinds of requests, because were does it stop?  As ever, I encourage everyone to stay informed, write the Council, attend meetings, ask questions, demand responsibility and accountability.  Make the Council work for every inch of ground they want.  

So we wait for this to happen, and when the unintended consequences start to effect our community, we will deal with them.  I will end with this too, elections matter.  We need some balance on the Council.  If anyone has ever thought they'd like to serve the community, now is the time to make that happen.  There are three seats up for election next year.  Candidates file in February or March.  Think about it, then do it.

And as ever, thank you for reading, and thank you for your support.