Comments | blur_kiwi: This one's in the bag

blur_kiwi

This one's in the bag - a column

Sep 16, 2013 11:34

A news story broke here at the weekend. It wasn't a surprising one, no 'shock horror' this time. The deputy prime minister of this soon to be dis-united kingdom decided to kick off his party's annual conference with a bit of a bang. It sort of illustrates how insignificant the job is when his big announcement is that in about a year and a half's ( Read more... )

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Comments 5

naurwen September 16 2013, 11:37:30 UTC

ah, this sure is an incredibly life-changing decision they've made ( ... )

blur_kiwi September 16 2013, 13:05:41 UTC

Thanks. Yes, I've learnt just how complicated democracy is in Switzerland. I love that in, I believe, Appenzal they still all turn out and have a show of hands. I think that's cool, but I also understand how frustrating it can be when you get vote after vote about the same thing just because a minority objects and is vocal enough to whip a few other people along.

To me, like you, the bag thing is so simple. Do it!

I seem to remember in Ireland that they charged 20c for a bag. That seems a better deterant to me.

naurwen September 16 2013, 13:11:46 UTC

yes, I can totally see that it's good that we *can* re-vote. But this is just ridiculous and at the end of the day it's disrespectful to the previous votes. It's as if they don't count at all.
On the other hand not every law is really inforced as it should be anyway. Thinking about the one for protecting wolves - they get shot down anyway. Another ridiculous one... :(

Yeah, I think it's 20c. And that's ok by me, too.

tatjna September 16 2013, 22:40:19 UTC

The charities weren't getting the enforced donation before the bag charge started, right? So they won't suffer as such, they just won't be better off.

Frankly, I think it'll reduce the use of bags quite considerably, and charities will get more money because of folks who choose to buy them.

Here, it's up to the individual shop whether to charge. Some don't, some do (most supermarkets do now), and some will only provide reusable ones that you have to pay a couple of bucks for.

blur_kiwi September 17 2013, 08:20:51 UTC

That's a very good point about the charities not missing what they never had. Though they will still get an income as a result of the scheme because there are bound to be people buying bags.

It's bound to reduce the number of bags around, and if that means a reduction in the number I see hanging from brambles and beside roads as I drive around, brilliant.

A couple of the bags I use have come from New Zealand - Pam's have done me proud over the years! :))