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The cost of groceries continues to climb everyday as items such as dish soap, produce, and dairy are marked up because of rising commodity prices.
In this climate of uncertainty, every nickel counts. Yet efforts to raise taxes middle and lower income families continue.  One of them is coming before the Long Beach City Council in just a matter of days.

At their meeting on tonight, the Council will vote on a proposal to ban recyclable plastic grocery bags and impose a ten-cent tax on paper bags at the checkout stand.  Put simply, a yes vote on this proposal is a vote to increase taxes that brings with it little promise of benefit to Long Beach residents, puts hundreds of manufacturing jobs at risk, and does nothing to strengthen our recycling infrastructure.
This proposal will disproportionately hurt those families struggling the most to make ends meet.

This recession has hit everyone hard.  Families who used to live comfortably are now living paycheck-to-paycheck.  Instead of helping struggling families, under this proposal residents will be double-taxed as they continue to pay state and local taxes for recycling programs and environmental conservation, while also being forced to pay 10 cents per bag at the checkout stand.

To some a dime per bag may not seem like a lot, but those dimes add up and they will stretch many budgets that are already stretched to the limit.
Don't get me wrong, I believe, like many Californians, that we must take steps to protect and preserve the natural beauty and resources of this state.  But I also believe we must take these steps thoughtfully and with a full evaluation of the economic and social effect any new policy will have on Californians.  This proposal falls short in that regard.

California already has a recycling program, paid for in part by your tax dollars.  In fact, the state started a recycling program specifically for plastic bags and other plastic wrapping just a few years ago, even though a recent study says they represent just .06 percent of litter on beaches.
Still those who are behind this grocery tax on bags are unwilling to let this program get off the ground before trying to impose more costs on anyone who shops for food, whether it's in a grocery store, a corner store, or a farmers' market.