Fast food places responsible for litter???? (1 Viewer)

[LarryDavenport]

Jeez, do the fast food places in your town only get a couple customers a day? If only 100 customers showed up their would only be a 10 cent tax. I don't know about you but I would gladly pay it (I'll pay your dime too). I'm not that cheap.

There are just some people who don't want to pay taxes no matter where the money goes.

 

[Carl Johnson]

I'm against setting up a separate litter tax on fast food restaurants because it sets a dangerous precedent. This is the first one that I've heard of but ten years from now the tax will be on every fast food restaurant from coast to coast because cities and states will rush to pass the law. There will be no problem in collecting the money but afterwords the trash will still be a problem. Where does it end? First we'll tax everybody at McDonald's because some of customers litter, then we'll tax everything sold in vending machines because some of those customers litter, then we'll tax every pack of cigarettes sold to clean up the butts, then everything sold in a grocery or retail store will have a separate tax on it to fund a federally mandated clean up crew.

 

[Joe D]

I hate the bottle deposit rule. It makes recycling a pain, and it shouldn't be. Plus, some people will recycle and others won't, regardless of whether or not there is a deposit on their container.

$.63 a day isn't too bad for a business, but where will it end, and why can't the government use the money more efficiently?

 

[Micheal]

The article states that low-income families are the biggest consumers. Surely they'll care about getting back the deposit.

Of course there is a lot that I disagree with in that article.
:rolleyes

 

[MarkHastings]

Come on Larry, my post isn't about being cheap. I'm far from being cheap.

My post is about fairness. While I agree that the world isn't fair, this just seems even more unfair because it's boggling my mind.Again, that's not what I'm arguing. I'd be just as upset if my town charged me 1 cent for boat tax. I don't OWN a boat, and while I can afford the measly penny, I'll be DAMNED if they're gonna get that penny out of me!!

It's the principle. And as others have mentioned, how long before this sort of 'tax' works it's way into other forms?

Hey! We should tax the popcorn industry to compensate for the money that is needed to pay the ushers to clean all of the dropped popcorn on the movie theater floors! DAMN POPCORN INDUSTRY! You'll PAY! You son's of bitches!!!

Oooo! and speaking of cheap...remember that thread where people complained about how expensive inkjet toner is? Why not increase the price of toner because it can be used in flyers that clutter up the streets when they are disgarded so frequently.

 

[DaveF]

To repeat what Rob said, it will cost the restaurants about $200 per year. I suppose they will pass on the half-cent cost to the customer...

According to a spokesperson in a radio interview, much of the littering comes from college students walking to and from a nearby campus. And all the costs will be used to keep the area clean.

They also plan "sting" operations: police will be ticketing people for littering at the start of the program to reinforce the anti-litter campaign.

As described, it sounds like a pragmatic means to deal with littering in a targeted location.

 

[MarkHastings]

Did you guys also see this part?It's so scary to even think that the government would try to make someone (who is law abiding) responsible for someone elses illegal actions.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I think that this "litter tax" should be part of the taxes that the city collects from the business. If Oakland taxed 5% a year on sales, why couldn't they just make it 5.1% - or whatever?

Calling it a litter tax is really rude if you use the drive through, and they should be taxing all of the 7-11's and such too.

But, it isn't really the fault of the business at all. I'd bet that most of this turns up 1 or 2 blocks away from the place, and is caused by people buying food, and then walking to wherever they are going.

You have to be on foot to appreciate this, but have you ever ate something while walking, and then you finish it and there isn't a trash can for blocks?

Glenn

 

[Chu Gai]

If it comes from the college students, then tax the university. Or maybe...put up cameras in a 2-3 block radius and nab 'em that way

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

You're doing it every day. Do you have any idea what it costs to police, prosecute and incarcerate convicted criminals annually?

While handing out $10,000 fines to everyone who drops a burger wrapper would probably generate more revenue, I don't think the extra policing would be worthwhile, especially when far more serious crimes could be be dealt with using the same manpower.

 

[Jason Pancake]

The problem that I think Mark has (and I agree with him) is that it attempts to hold the restaurants responsible for their patrons littering habits.

When a person hands over the money for their McRib sandwich, the person then becomes the owner of not only the sandwich but the packaging as well. What the owner of the packaging does with his trash from this point on is of absolutely no concern to the restaurant. Just a simple application of property rights is enough to understand that this is not the restaurants' problem.

 

[MarkHastings]

Thank you Jason. That is exactly my beef (to use another fast food reference ). Yes, I understand that, but I don't have a problem because the cost is distriubted evenly across the town. They don't seek out specifics.

I mean, it would be like raising the taxes of only (insert ethnic group here) because a particular states jail has a higher percentage of (whatever ethnic group) in them.

 

[Scott L]

In the end, it's not the restaurants' problem, it's their customers'. The tax cost should be passed on to the litterer.

The customers that don't litter are SOL, but that's life. Say goodbye to your half cent.