The last straw

[Long Run]

A bill proposed in California would impose up to a $1,000 fine and six months jail time for waiters offering customers plastic straws because they're bad for the environment.

'We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans,' said Majority Leader Ian Calderon in a press release.

'[The bill] is not ban on plastic straws. It is a small step towards curbing our reliance on these convenience products, which will hopefully contribute to a change in consumer attitudes and usage.'

The bill will prevent sit-down restaurants from offering their customers unsolicited plastic straws, or from serving drinks with them.

'Plastic is a material that lasts forever, yet 33 percent of all plastics are used just once and thrown away,' the release said.

'Only 9 percent of all plastics are recycled, but due to their small size and lack of a resin code, no straws are ever recycled.'

'After their one-time use, non-biodegradable plastic straws often end up in our oceans and waterways where they break down into smaller, micro-size pieces that are discarded into our environment. They are oftentimes mistaken as food by marine life.'

Under the bill, giving unsolicited plastic straws would be a misdemeanor.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z55L2tofn6

[RayThom]

I'm not sure but this appears to be a straw man form of argument. Jes' sayin'.

[Joe Guy]

If passed, it would create an opportunity for the government to siphon money from restaurants.

[Lord Jim]

A bill proposed in California would impose up to a $1,000 fine and six months jail time for waiters offering customers plastic straws

I propose a bill that would impose up to a $1,000 fine and six months jail time on legislators who propose asinine bills...

[Lord Jim]

Actually, in thinking about this a little more:

a $1,000 fine and six months jail time for waiters offering customers plastic straws because they're bad for the environment.

I've decided it actually makes good sense...

Waiters should definitely be deterred from offering plastic straws to customers because they're bad for the environment. They should only offer them because they provide the customer with an alternative way to consume their beverage. Wanting to damage the environment is a completely unacceptable motive...



(I guess all of these years of reading Meade's posts are starting to have an effect on me... )

[ex-khobar Andy]

Im not sure what your inferring, LJ.

[MajGenl.Meade]

. . . or implying.

(I guess all of these years of reading Meade's posts are starting to have an effect on me... )

[Lord Jim]

or insinuating...

[Burning Petard]

This is California folks. For the last half of my working career I had to consider CA Prop 65 (Chemicals known to the State of California to cause Cancer, Birth Defects, or Reproductive Harm) "Known to the state of California', even if nobody else knew it. The reg required specific wording on the label if the product contained any of the chemicals on the list, no matter how the product was used and no matter how much or how little of the chemical was present.

In meetings this was always the subject of ridicule, such as what if the seller was located near the state line between Arizona or Nevada and California---how did the chemical know the buyer was going to use it California and not the other state, so that it could cause cancer in California but not Arizona?

The list was created by very bad science. The enforcement was very unjust. The state did nothing. It was expected that private parties (bounty hunters) would observe something sold in California with an ingredient on the list but no warning label, and then report it to get a big chunk of the fine.

My bosses' boss, until he retired, insisted that we NEVER include the Ca Prop 65 warning on any of our labels. He wanted to go to court in California and challenge the law. It never happened. No bounty hunter ever challenged us. When that man retired, the corporate suits took the easy way out and began including the magic words on the labels. They never had to answer the questions from customers around the world asking why this warning, for something 'everybody' knew made no sense for our product.

Plastic straws sending servers to jail? it's just California , folks.

snailgate

[BoSoxGal]

Plastic is the 2nd biggest threat to the environment behind global climate change.

Perhaps the proposed law is ham handed, but at least this lawmaker is concerned about a very critical issue.

[ex-khobar Andy]

. . . or implying.

(I guess all of these years of reading Meade's posts are starting to have an effect on me... )

Are you OK MGM? You got only 1/3 on that one.

[Bicycle Bill]

The list was created by very bad science. The enforcement was very unjust. The state did nothing. It was expected that private parties (bounty hunters) mercenary rat-finks and their bottom-feeding 'gun-for-hire' attorneys would observe something sold in California with an ingredient on the list but no warning label, and then report it to get a big chunk of the fine.

snailgate

Fixed it for you, BP/SG

-"BB"-