Primary election special: Reusable bags vs. plastic bags @ 5 cents each as both a nonissue and a whitey plot

Plastic bags at a recycling plant. Photo source unknown.

Judging by the number of people in the city I see carrying reusable bags, and using them at the drug store, carry out restaurants, supermarkets, 7-11 and other convenience stores, and other places, I tend to think that after a few months of the plastic bag 5 cent tax being in effect, that it has become a nonissue... despite Kelvin Robinson making it an issue in his campaign against Councilmember Tommy Wells in the Ward 6 Council election, according to the Washington Post's Mike DeBonis, in "n D.C.'s Ward 6, Wells's progressive agenda assailed as out of touch." I would also say that I seem to see a little bit less litter, although not supra-significantly.

(For background see "D.C. bags wasteful shopping habit with tax on paper and plastic" and "D.C. bag tax collects $150,000 in January for river cleanup" from the Post.)

Now if we could only get a bottle deposit law into effect. Talk about a race-baited campaign on environmental, evil whitey vs. poor black folk, grounds. The campaign against the bottle bill in 1988 was ugly, and the black churches and ministers mostly came on board of the anti-group, funding profusely by the beverage industry... (See the 1987 Post article, " Bottle Feud Taps Churches; Bill Opponents Said to Buy Off Congregations.")

A visionary political opponent ought to be focused on improving the environment and setting an ambitious "black" environmental agenda while doing it. Without doing that, Kelvin Robinson is stooping low rather than setting a high bar.

Also see:

- African American Environmentalist Association
- Principles of Environmental Justice

Note principle 7:

7) Environmental Justice should expand the definition of ‘environment’ and seek to redress unique inner city environmental problems.

I think that dealing with litter and a trashed river that flows through predominately African-American neighborhoods would be an issue of concern to politicians of all races...