Bags to Riches, 5¢ at a time

This is a tale of "bags" to riches

If we had a nickel for every time we were forced to decide whether a "bag" would be appropriate for the overpriced food and dry goods in DC ... we'd break even.  For the blissfully unaware, DC shoppers must negotiate nearly every purchase they make with a 5 cent question: "paper or plastic?"  Why?  Because the delightful leadership in the District has levied a "sin tax" on the single greatest item of retail utility: the bag to take your items home.  This apparently is directly tied to efforts to "Save the Anacostia," a river that flows exclusively through the shittiest parts of the city and -- until recently -- has been seen by about 6 people you'd ever want to meet.

Shittiest?  Sure.  Besides running through the worst parts of DC, the river is clogged with the fecal matter (and other refuse) from suburban Maryland residents living near Anacostia tributaries.  If taxing pollutants is the environmental policy de rigueur, it seems there ought to be a tax on toilet paper -- and trash -- in Maryland, not just plastic bags in DC.  By the way who voted for this tax anyway?

 

Oh.  Now we get it.  Referendums still count as "representation"

But, as usual, there is a much simpler cause for our plight.  Have you ever wondered why the Anacostia is just now a problem, after decades of disuse?  DC is trying to revitalize the Navy Yard district that borders the river, which is great ... until you consider that the city is again creating private profits on the public's dime.  In the last 5 years, DC has already invested $611 million of public funds for the perennially worst-in-division Washington Nationals to play and has successfully courted several large commercial development projects in the area.  The river HAS to be cleaned up to attract people to live there, and someone needs to pay for it.  Instead of pooling funds from the developers poised to earn millions from the formerly cheap waterfront real-estate, DC has once again dug into the pockets of her residents under an "earth friendly" guise, making daily life a little worse in the city.

Since the city has already levied additional taxes on established businesses to pay for the stadium, and hiking that pesky 10% income tax on residents isn't going to invite more people over the bridges -- we get to "save the river" one paper-cut at a time.  Plastic, if you prefer.

How is the bag tax ruining the day-to-day lives of DC citizens?  Stay tuned.