Arlington Considers Plastic-Bag Ban

This is good for the environment. take your own reusable cloth bag to the store. I always keep a few in my car, this way I always have them handy.

I am from texas and I did not know that, but that being said, and thanks, but if you go to the trouble to report them they do need a fine or something, because in todays society people don't care if people are watching, hence why we have more day light robberies, assaults etc. then we have had in the past. So littering will be nothing for some of these people.

Bill wrote:

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If you're in Texas you can report these people at dontmesswithtexas.org . Although they don't get a fine, which is what should happen, they'll at least get a nasty-gram about their action and know people are watching.

EricDallas wrote:

You sound like you may be on the council or something?
I do expect my government to answer to me, not me answer to it. That is the whole purpose of a democracy; is it not?
I have been looking at all this news coming out of Arlington, and really think there are more important issues to address.
As far as spending more money on schools, have you looked at your tax bill lately? The schools are getting much more than they deserve. We need politicians to answer to the people and stop throwing our hard earned money around like it is a gift from God or something. We (the citizens) have a hard time paying the school taxes, they are about 10x what my father in another state pays, and you use it to pay for extravagant lighting fixtures and such that will not effect a childs education. What a crock of crap! The kids have more than enough. Stop leuding the kids is what you should be addressing: not plastic bags.
Maybe plastic bags do mess with the sewer, but if that is the only reason you want to ban them is because it cost money to repair the sewer???
The king has to look out for the kingdom, not just the castle.
Arlington deserves better representation than what it has now.
If you are on the council: You need to resign. You're wasting Arlington's money.

I'm not on the city council. The ban on plastic bags shouldn't cost taxpayers much money, plus save us $1M dollars in tax dollars. Not sure what the gripe is other than maybe an inconvenience to you if you're so in love with plastic. I also expect the government to answer to me, which is why I asked what else you're doing about it other than complaining here. I doubt anyone on the city council is watching this discussion. If you have all these great ideas on how to save Arlington and make it a better place to live, are you letting the appropriate people know about it?

Regarding schools, yes, I pay my taxes and see where it's going. Perhaps if there is a huge waste of money in the school district, you need to point those out rather than griping that schools are getting too much of your money. If you're one of these kid-haters who don't think taxes shouldn't go to public schools at all, and that education should privatized and paid for by those with kids, then that's another issue.

Scott wrote:

I am from texas and I did not know that, but that being said, and thanks, but if you go to the trouble to report them they do need a fine or something, because in todays society people don't care if people are watching, hence why we have more day light robberies, assaults etc. then we have had in the past. So littering will be nothing for some of these people.
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Yes, you are right, they don't care if people are watching. Just the other day, my neighbor witnessed a drug deal right in front of our breezeway steps, and the two men just looked at her and continued their transaction like it didn't faze them.

Bill wrote:

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I'm not on the city council. The ban on plastic bags shouldn't cost taxpayers much money, plus save us $1M dollars in tax dollars. Not sure what the gripe is other than maybe an inconvenience to you if you're so in love with plastic. I also expect the government to answer to me, which is why I asked what else you're doing about it other than complaining here. I doubt anyone on the city council is watching this discussion. If you have all these great ideas on how to save Arlington and make it a better place to live, are you letting the appropriate people know about it?
Regarding schools, yes, I pay my taxes and see where it's going. Perhaps if there is a huge waste of money in the school district, you need to point those out rather than griping that schools are getting too much of your money. <If you're one of these kid-haters who don't think taxes shouldn't go to public schools at all, and that education should privatized and paid for by those with kids, then that's another issue.>

Hey, Just because someone thinks that too many of their tax dollars are going to the school district doesn't make them a "kid-hater"

Bill wrote:

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I'm not on the city council. The ban on plastic bags shouldn't cost taxpayers much money, plus save us $1M dollars in tax dollars. Not sure what the gripe is other than maybe an inconvenience to you if you're so in love with plastic. I also expect the government to answer to me, which is why I asked what else you're doing about it other than complaining here. I doubt anyone on the city council is watching this discussion. If you have all these great ideas on how to save Arlington and make it a better place to live, are you letting the appropriate people know about it?
Regarding schools, yes, I pay my taxes and see where it's going. Perhaps if there is a huge waste of money in the school district, you need to point those out rather than griping that schools are getting too much of your money. If you're one of these kid-haters who don't think taxes shouldn't go to public schools at all, and that education should privatized and paid for by those with kids, then that's another issue.

Maybe the whole point was missed. This is a free country. We do not need the government telling us what kind of bags we have to use. If plastic bags are bad for the world or whatever, then we need to stop manufacturing these. You said that we could use the money for schools. Well, we both know that we have all been screwed by our government in the name of schools: uh, the Texas Lottery. The amount of money our government collects for school taxes is billions more than what the kids actually get. My school taxes for my home are $3,000 a year, and I live in a dump compared to most houses in the city. There are huge buildings paying 2-3 million a year, and every tenant pays school taxes. School taxes are a sore spot with me, because everytime some liberal wants to raise taxes, they say "oh it will help the schools" Just maybe we need to teach our schools to live within their means.
Now the plasic bag issue: Al Gore has started this green fad, and everyone is going green, of course Al Gore hasn't made it a big issue that he owns millions of dollars worth of investments in some major green companies. So he stands to win big. So his ideals are biased, and worthless to anyone.
There is no proof what-so-ever that greenhouse gases are causing the planet to warm. It is a theory. We drive through the city and see the air is filthy, and confuse pollution with greenhouse gasses (GHG). Plants breath in GHG and emit oxygen. If you look at the worldmap, there is all this greenery growing where it didn't before. The world is adjusting to the GHG output.
The problem is there are just too many people on the earth. Not plastic bags, but again the earth will correct that through famine and disease.
Our government is going beyond what is necessary. They are playing God. It is wrong.

Unrestrained breeding is key to everything ...

Its funny that we consider legislating to solve social ills when education is the correct and proper answer. Plastic bags don't litter. People litter. Slobs will throw away anything regardless of its physical makeup.

There isn't enough paper available to substitute for plastic anyway.

Remember the 50's when we went into the anti litter campaign? Every car had a box in it to place garbage for disposal. It's time we do that instead of banning something that we need.

Plastic bags are made from the by products of natural gas and oil. If we stop using those items, it goes up in the air in the process of sorting the other plastics as they are made.

This is a typical legislative error trying to do the right thing.

Gee, I remember when you were criticized on for using paper sacks. Tree Killers, we were called. No one cared about the renewable resource of trees. No, you HAD to use plastic.
Now, another faction says, no plastic bags.
I'll use whatever they supply but if they don't supply something, I will shop elsewhere. I'm not hauling around a bunch of cloth sacks because some low-life can't throw a bag away.
Upgrade your citizens and the problem will disappear.

Neil wrote:

Its funny that we consider legislating to solve social ills when education is the correct and proper answer.

That ... and unrestrained breeding.

I didn't put that in the proper context - I meant that unrestrained breeding is the problem.

If reckless, baby-factory breeding could be stopped and a proper education and sense of responsibility instilled in all children (and their parents), things would improve on this planet.

Of course, that will never happen.

... when reckless breeding is stopped and proper education is instilled in all children (and their parents), then maybe things will improve on this planet.

texasnative wrote:

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That ... and unrestrained breeding.

Yes, breeding is a problem. Maybe the uncontrolled breeders could be taught to use the plastics bags for condoms. It's a start. Using nothing obviously isn't working.

I am sick and tired of the plastic bags ending up in my back yard & in the trees because lazy people or Walmart (who ever it is). I live close to Walmart grocey store in Arlington & everyday I am in my back yard cleaning up these darn plastic bags. GET RID OF THEM!

Bill wrote:

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We have more laws because we have so many irresponsible and/or apathetic people. For those who are complaining about the ban, what are you doing about it besides ranting here about it - someplace which does absolutely no good whatsoever. Did you contact the city council? Did you even know it was something being discussed before the ban was being planned?
Perhaps if you would take a more proactive role in government, they wouldn't seem so much like an enemy as they would be an ally. At the very least you might better understand why things happen.

Proactive ... have you ever dealt with the Arlington police or fire department or code enforcement? They are, for the most part, pathetic, inept, and unconcerned.

Being proactive and contacting any level of city government means nothing in Arlington.

Lucy wrote:

I'm not hauling around a bunch of cloth sacks because some low-life can't throw a bag away.
Upgrade your citizens and the problem will disappear.

And how would you propose that this "upgrade your citizens" suggestion be implemented?

While I rather like the concept of intellectual and responsible citizens somehow taking control of the city and banishing all the irresponsible, reckless, lowlifes and scum to another city far, far away, I just don't think that will happen.

texasnative wrote:

I didn't put that in the proper context - I meant that unrestrained breeding is the problem.
If reckless, baby-factory breeding could be stopped and a proper education and sense of responsibility instilled in all children (and their parents), things would improve on this planet.
Of course, that will never happen.
... when reckless breeding is stopped and proper education is instilled in all children (and their parents), then maybe things will improve on this planet.

What if they bring back spankings? Oh the federal government stopped that local issue. Just maybe kids would learn respect for others. Some kids need a good slap on the head. Apparently sending kids home for a few days doesn't work. Oh but that woul drequir us to demand something from our government. Never happen.