Bag-fee battle: Opponents officially get it on the ballot

| Bag fee battle | Environment | West Seattle news

We told you three weeks ago that bag-fee opponents said they had 20,000 petition signatures – about a third more than they needed for a referendum vote; tonight two newspaper stories (PI here, Times here) say the county Elections Department has verified enough of those names are valid for the anti-bag-fee campaign to get what it wants. What’s next: The City Council decides whether the vote will wait for next August’s primary, or a special-election ballot sooner, and the bag fee/foam ban will be on hold pending referendum results. Side note per the P-I story – the plastics lobbying group American Chemistry Council paid almost $200,000 to help fund the petition drive. MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Hizzoner is talking about this right now (9:37 am) on KIRO 710 radio (which streams online).

Kayleigh September 16, 2008 (5:36 am)

On behalf of a warming planet and the thousands of animals that die as a result of ingesting or getting trapped in those bags, thank you!

Welcome to Seattle, where narcissism sometimes pretends to be populism and activism.

D September 16, 2008 (6:39 am)

I have been much more observant lately at the grocery store and there are so many more people bringing there own bags. Young and old, so many elderly women with their own bags.

It really does take something like the bag fee to get people to change their ways. We can do it…so stop complaining and do it!

OP September 16, 2008 (9:11 am)

Woo-hoo! Yeah democracy! Boo on backdoor taxes and socialist agendas!

Environmentalist September 16, 2008 (1:36 pm)

Anybody can get 200K signatures at $8 each. It’s amazing how much the chemical industry will pay to stop progress… AMAZING.

J September 16, 2008 (4:35 pm)

Is it really that hard to bring a bag with you to the store? Come on now, really…

Bender September 16, 2008 (4:55 pm)

If I want to bring my own bag I will. But try and make me by passing this law and I’ll buy extra plastic every time I go just to annoy the tree huggers.

Joe September 16, 2008 (9:48 pm)

ugh, that first commenter makes me want to get out of this town. 3rd commenter gives me some hope…

Worthless laws like this do us no good… there are so many more issues that deserve this attention. Hey, what about the plastic water bottles…

J September 17, 2008 (7:02 am)

Thank god for a democracy! This is why we get to VOTE, so that unfair things can only be put in place as long as the majority wants it. At least this way, I can swallow the news a little easier than knowing a power mad mayor and city counsel run willy nilly all over the city putting into “green” laws that will actually NOT help in the end.

Sorry, comment time is over.