Fast-Food Litter Tax

[CodeRed68 Profile]

http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_039115815.html

I was just wondering what everyones thoughts are on this. I saw this on the news the other day and couldn't believe what I was hearing. They are now going to tax business to help clean up litter left by irrisponsible citizens? That just says it's ok to litter, the business is being taxed to pick it up. How about enforcing litter laws that I am sure are already on the books? Is it not good enough that private businesses open up to provide us with convenient food, but now they are being punished with a litter tax?
Uuuugghh ! stupid taxes make me soo mad !

[Twister026 Profile Website]

now thats just plain stupid

[-HaVoC- Profile]

Socialism if I understand it is a one for all kind of thing. In other words in another 20 to 50 years you won't even get paid anymore. The government will dictate what you do and do not need, or is that communism? Well either way it's realllly bad.

[CodeRed68 Profile]

I just don't understand how they justfy taxing a privately owned business, who provides a product for our convenience, if we throw thier packaging on the ground and create litter.
That is just insane. The only people who are going to suffer is us, the consumer. Because the company is not going to eat the tax, they are going to raise the prices. Or worse, by reducing spending by limiting pay increases to thier employees or letting people go.
There are so many things wrong with this, fundamentaly and fiscally. Again, taxation making things worse in the long run.
To make is worse, I wonder how mucn time and money they spent putting this legislation into being.

[King Profile]

I'm all for this and let me explain why:

about 5 years ago, me and a buddy got some taco bell via late night drive through. we ate in the car in the parking lot. There were no trash cans around and instead of throwing the trash on the ground like almost everyone else apparently had done, we walk next door to the gas station which was closed and threw the trash away in their dumpster.

After throwing it, this female cop on a power trip comes bombing in on us lights flashing. She gets out and says "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!??"

our reply:

"throwing away the trash from the taco bell we just ate at because they don't have trash cans to throw this stuff away in"

"i dont believe you, im gonna have to run your ID's"

"I can go jump in the dumpster and get my bag, it has my receipt in it"

long story short she let us go because we didn't have any warrants or what have you. The point of my story is: dont cops have better things to do than harrass a couple of people doing the right thing?

Obviously this is an isolated incident but after that incident, i started throwing all my trash on the ground outside fast food joints to avoid the aggravation of being pulled over for doing the right thing. Of course now i dont really worry about it but still....

On a diferent note Code.... you should look into how much a soda really costs at these places and what you pay, you'd probably start throwing trash on their parking lots to make up for all the extra cash you've spent at these places. I know i've funded some McDonald's exec's private jet fund with all of my soft-drink purchases.

[Chacal Profile Website]

Actually, reading this carefully, this is the opposite of socialism. The rationale weems to be: if fast-food joints produce too much trash, why should everyone pay for it?

It's not really a tax, don't be confused by the name. It's a fee for extra garbage removal service because it does cost more to the city.

Customers who eat there, and who generate the trash in the first place, will pay for this service, much like drivers pay a toll on highways. This is much better than a stupid law that nobody enforces anyway, and policemen have more important things to do anyway.

Funny how some people see red just at the word "tax".

[RCglider Profile]

tax: A fee charged ("levied") by a government on a product, income, or activity.

socialism: Economic system which is based on cooperation rather than competition and which utilizes centralized planning and distribution.

Any questions?

It's Kalifornia, would you expect anything less?

[CodeRed68 Profile]

I dont think the business owner should have to pay a tax because people throw the product packaging on the ground.
Where are they going to draw the line on "fast food'? My guess is that they will expand this to any restaurant that offers food "to-go".
And will it stop at fast food? Why are they any more responsible for product packaging then any other business? Take music CD's for example. How many people exit the local music store while unwrapping the CD and toss the plastic wrapping to the wind?
Anyway, the point of my anger is that they are holding the restaurant responsible for the customer's own irresponsibility and breaking of the law. There are plenty of trash receptacles around and in worst case, keep the stuff in your car until you get home. Is that too hard?

Quote: " "I don't think that's too much to ask so neighbors don't have to keep picking up trash from their doorways," said Councilwoman Jane Brunner, who proposed the new ordinance."
Typical politician style thinking. "oh, i dont think it is too much to ask" What??!!! Is she stupid and/or blind? Like there aren't enough taxes on the books?

While I agree in theory to what Chacal said about paying for services that you use (very Libertarian of you), I think food is different. I don't think this will help thier local economy by forcing all thier local restaurants to raise thier prices to compensate for this "phantom" tax.

[Horsepower Profile YIM]

any chance we could just shoot people that are such pigs that they disgrace their city and this country with the garbage they toss anywhere they feel like? no chance? damnit! kill the slobs.

[SavageParrot Profile]

Er if they didn't spend all their tax money at the momment designing new and more gruesome ways to kill people there would be plenty of cash to clean up the mess. I'd setlle for making them provide adequate disposal facilities such as, to be brutal, bins you can reach from the car...

[ShipWreck Profile Website]

I never eat fast food. Or food from restaurants. I've been in the back of to many doing work. And see what goes on. No thanks!

[Chacal Profile Website]

Originally posted by Horsepower
any chance we could just shoot people that are such pigs that they disgrace their city and this country with the garbage they toss anywhere they feel like? no chance? damnit! kill the slobs.

Only if you tidily dispose of the corpses afterwards.

[Horsepower Profile YIM]

Originally posted by Chacal
Only if you tidily dispose of the corpses afterwards.

the fastfood joints could grind them up and sell them as burgers.

[CodeRed68 Profile]

Originally posted by Horsepower
the fastfood joints could grind them up and sell them as burgers.

Or chili...
<drum roll>

[SavageParrot Profile]

Originally posted by Horsepower
the fastfood joints could grind them up and sell them as burgers.

Nah that would raise the actual meat content they'd need to add extra fat and skin to get it down to the required quality.

Interestingly enough they grade meat quality 1 to 7 over here with 1 being the finest cuts and 0 being whatever they can airblast off the bones after everything else has gone. On that scale Dogfood is rated higher than McDonalds. Go dog food!