Albany, NY – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday he’s weighing his options when it comes to legislation that would prevent New York City from imposing a fee on non-reusable shopping bags.
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The Legislature voted this week to overrule the city and postpone the fee until at least 2018. Cuomo said he hasn’t decided whether he will sign or veto the measure. But his comments suggest the Democratic governor is sympathetic to critics who say the bag fee would be a burden on the poor and middle class.
“It’s a complicated issue. There are real environmental concerns, but there are also economic concerns,” he told reporters at an event in Schenectady. “You charge people 5 cents for every plastic bag; doesn’t sound like much (but) it adds up.”
City officials were poised to implement the fee later this month before lawmakers in Albany voted for the delay.
The fee, of a nickel or more, was to be imposed on any plastic or paper non-reusable shopping bag as a way to reduce litter and protect the environment. Shoppers using food stamps won’t be charged the fee, and the city
plans to distribute hundreds of thousands of reusable bags to help residents adjust to it.
Under the city’s plan, merchants will keep the revenue from the fee.
Oh Yonasonw what do you say about your progressive mayor charging low middle class people a bag tax? I know he excluded food stamp recipients. And what about the others?
What do you say about MTA fair hikes?? Do rich people ride the subway?
Sounds like a tale of two cities to me. 1) Those LGBT with little family who are gluten free vegetrerians and only shop at whole foods thereby using reusabale bags. And they use citi bikes so no need to worry about the MTA 2) Those of us with large families who can’t possibly use 100 reusable bags when grocery shopping. And they use the subway.
So does De-Blassio care about the 99% or his 2% of elitists millennials.
Progressive hypocrites.
Sounds like Cuomo is the new mayor for New York City.
Please explain this last line – under the city’s plan the merchant would keep the revenue?!?!?!? Well then I’d like a piece of every alternate side parking ticket they issue on my block.
If It was environmental concern for the use of bags then don’t reward the store keeper for using bags, you fine the store and get them to use LESS bags.
They all do not care about the little guy!!