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| | | Do your homework | | September 18, 2009 | | | | It’s rare when a controversial bill is able to earn broad support from members of the D.C. Council. But Ward 6 member Tommy Wells managed to get 11 of his 12 colleagues to co-introduce a recent piece of divisive legislation, which places a 5-cent charge on plastic bags distributed at grocery and drug stores in the District.
In Baltimore, Annapolis and Seattle, similar legislation has died because politicians failed to do their homework and study the opposition as thoroughly as Mr. Wells did.
First, Mr. Wells demonstrated that an enormous number of plastic bags end up in the gutter after customers leave stores. When a strong rain arrives, the bags — about 20 tons annually — go down through the sewer system and right into the Anacostia River or Rock Creek. The bags make up 40 percent of the pollution in the Anacostia’s tributaries, and 20 percent of the pollution in its main stream — making the river one of the nation’s 10 most polluted.
Mr. Wells dulled potential opposition from retailers by ensuring that one out of the 5 cents charged per bag goes directly to the store. The rest goes to a special river cleanup fund. When 11 council members joined with Wells to introduce the bill, opponents knew they would have trouble trying to label the fee as a “bag tax.”
Mr. Wells even convinced Maryland legislators to introduce a similar bill. Opposing lobbyists managed to delay the legislation there, but they struck out in the District thanks to Mr. Wells. | | | | | Log in to comment on this article |
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