Last week's proposal by Mayor David Miller to implement a five-cent fee for plastic bags at all grocery stores in Toronto is a delightful example of politics bending over and taking it from business. Instead of rewarding consumers for cutting back on wasteful plastic bags (the original proposal was to offer a ten-cent discount for every bag reused), Mr. Miller has now proposed to punish consumers for using plastic bags. This provides grocers with an opportunity to make a further (if miniscule) profit. Although the implementation of this proposal will make consumers more mindful of their plastic bag usage and waste, the original plan would be quite a bit more effective. The new proposal is replete with a large hole caused by Mr. Miller's desire to please businesses while appearing to support leftist causes.
Another recent government proposal (on a grander scale) full of holes is the auto industry bailout. The suggestion that using public money to regenerate the North American companies known for making shit-quality private automobiles is preposterous. The bailout will not generate more jobs, it will simply provide crutches for an industry that has long been fading. The auto industry is beholden to the free market system. It is demand that determines the cost of automobiles. That being said, the automobile does not have a public value. Thus, public money should not be allocated to support automobile production.
Beyond the limited public value of the automobile, the industry is actually detrimental to public interest and well-being. It is well-known that the fossil fuels generated by automobiles are damaging to the environment. Do we want one of the cornerstones of our newly established environmentally-conscious economy to be the auto sector?
If public money is granted to the automakers, the public should have a say in how the money is spent. How about putting the funds towards the development of ethanol-based cars? Or solar-powered cars?
