Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) urged New Yorkers to rally fellow elected officials behind an effort to terminate a five-cent grocery bag fee that passed in the City Council on Thursday, 28-20. The legislation, which will take effect on Oct. 1, would require certain retailers to charge a fee for each carryout bag, paper or plastic.
“This motion to charge consumers a nickel for their grocery bags is an unfair tax on hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers,” Assemblyman Hikind said. “Not only will this fee further complicate our lives even more, it will also tremendously burden the store owners.”
Supporters of the bill insisted the five-cent fee would encourage shoppers to use reusable bags, thus reducing the number of plastic bags New Yorkers throw away annually and argued that the five-cent charge wouldn’t be considered a tax since it would go directly to the store owner.
“If it looks like a tax, smells like a tax and acts as a tax, then it’s a tax,” Hikind argued. “This is just one more thing New Yorkers have to worry about. Grocery shopping, especially in New York City, can be hectic, and this will add to the chaos. As customers, we will now have to worry about having our reusable bags handy every time we go to the supermarket. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Sen. Simcha Felder (D- Brooklyn) and Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-State Island) recently proposed legislation that would prevent New York City from imposing this fee. “I strongly urge my fellow New Yorkers to reach out to their elected officials and voice their concerns regarding the bag tax proposal,” Hikind said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio will be holding a public hearing on Tuesday, May 10 at 12 p.m. to offer those who oppose the legislation an opportunity to voice their concerns. “Let’s stand up together against this tax on the consumer and additional burden on supermarket owners,” he said.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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5 Responses
let us remember that Dov Hikind supported Brad Lander (the prime sponsor of the bag tax) when he ran for city council over John Heyer whom Reb Belsky supported.
Government over reach in my option and I happen to be an elected person in office. But they get away with these kind of regulation because it’s not worth taking them to court on an individual basis. People should get together and bring these ridiculous issues to court to stop this and make them think before they pass other ridiculous laws.
So I guess we will just have to request that our groceries be boxed!! That will give the sanitation department more cardboard recycling to deal with.
I would like to know who will decide how many bags should be used. There will be people who will want to over load their bags. Then if something breaks they will blame the store. The store will try to use more bags for higher profits and even if they don’t there will be people who will say they do. Without any guidelines I see much chaos at the checkout counter.
Any lawyers?
Under what jurisdiction can a store be forced to charge customers for something that is “not a tax”. Can stores be forced to charge $X for a product? (besides tobacco, which may have its own reasons)