On January 1, 2009, The City of Seattle will force all grocery, drug, and convenience stores within city limits to charge 20 cents per bag issued to its customers. Further, the use of foam food and drink containers will be banned (those teriyaki shops have some serious change ahead of the them!). Both acts are bold moves that put Seattle at the forefront of the so-called “Green Movement.” But what they also do is paint city officials all shades of intrusive fascist red. As the Wicked Witch of the West moaned as she melted into a puddle of goo, “What a world, what a world!”

Personally, I am all for the ENCOURAGEMENT of consumers bringing reusable bags with them when grocery shopping. Heck, I’ve actually done just that for years (pack everything in my backpack for my bike ride home). However, I can’t help but wonder if kicking the consumer in the nuts with an egregious surcharge while helping greedy food chains rake in some unexpected payola is the most sensible way to tackle the free grocery bag extravagance we currently lead.

For some time now Fred Meyer has taken a different approach to encourage consumers to use their own bags: give the consumer back 5 cents for every bag he or she provides. Gadzooks! Big business giving money back to the consumer, no strings attached!? Yes, it is true and it is brilliant. Now, instead of that situation, with The City’s new law, we are treated to the ever-rising price of food AND a government mandated surcharge on our convenience. Isn’t that wonderful? I don’t think so.

I suppose in the long term charging an obscene cost for store provided bags WILL force just about everyone to bring their own shopping bags. And certainly that IS the best situation for the environment. But to let this sort of legislation pass without pissing and moaning is to give one’s stamp of approval not only toward conservation above all else, which is all well and good, but a thumb’s up and a blind eye toward the government’s taxing of citizens rather than big business for the latter’s foibles. My wonder is what pet cause might arise next and find another citizen surcharge as the solution? It’s a slippery slope when legislation such as this flies through our government’s hands so quickly without a peep of dissent. Even if it is well meaning, let’s just hope this sort of thing doesn’t become a pattern.