I am old enough to remember the time before plastic grocery bags. We used paper bags. Then, when plastic bags came out, we were given a choice at the checkout: Paper or plastic? Eventually, we were told that our use of paper bags was ruining the environment. We needed to stop. Paper bags were removed from the checkout and plastic bags saved the day — and, presumably, the environment.
But wait, now we are being told we must quit using plastic bags! Why? They are ruining the environment — presumably the same environment they saved a couple decades ago! And here's the real kicker — we are replacing them with paper bags! Oh, no; won't we still be ruining the environment?
Well, I guess not. Why? Because now we will pay for our paper bags, which will somehow redeem them and keep them from ruining the environment. I'm so glad we have the Anchorage Assembly to tell us what to do. Without their manifold wisdom, we'd all be willy-nilly ruining the environment. And, presumably, we'd all be a wee bit wealthier.
— Nancy Winniford
Anchorage
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