Taxpayer group takes on bag tax

[CDNBear]

Taxpayer group takes on bag tax

The city’s five cent bag fee has been called “illegal” by the Toronto Taxpayers Coalition.

The coalition announced Sunday that it filed a complaint against Toronto’s controversial bag bylaw to the federal competition bureau.

“What we’re saying is that there should not be a fixed price set for plastic bags,” said coalition president Matthew McGuire.

The coalition argues that setting a fixed cost for plastic bags violates the Competition Act.

The act states that it is an offence to fix, maintain or control the price of a product, to allocate sales of a product or to maintain or control the production of a product.

“The city has fixed the price of plastic bags and prevented competition among retailers who may want to offer plastic bags for free or for a cost lower than five cents,” said McGuire. “Not all bags have the same value.”

McGuire also stressed that taxpayers would save a tremendous amount if the bag fee were eliminated in all 5,000 retail stores in Toronto.

The plastic bag bylaw was brought in by former mayor David Miller in 2009.

Mayor Rob Ford told reporters earlier this month that he is looking to eliminate the plastic bag fee, saying many residents call it to be a “tax.”

A city spokesman could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Ford's executive committee voted this month to kill the bag fee.

The fate of the bylaw is still up in the air. City council will have to decide whether to trash the fee or not at its June meeting.

Taxpayer group takes on bag tax | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun
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No way! Miller, the great white hype, wouldn't impose a "tax", that benefits big business, AND could possibly run contrary to the Competition Act!!!

Would he?

 

[captain morgan]

Expect GreenPeace and Forest Ethics to rail at the heavens on this challenge.

 

[petros]

In SK some stores charge a nickel others give bags for free. The bags that are a nickel are lower quality than the freebies. Go figure.

 

[mentalfloss]

Of course they would, they only look at the economic side of things.

Who wouldn't save tax money if we cut a service?

The question is whether or not that service is worth it. The fact is that the fee/tax/whatever has successfully dissuaded enough people to get their own bags and avoid dumping these ones in the landfill.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Of course they would, they only look at the economic side of things.

Who wouldn't save tax money if we cut a service?

The question is whether or not that service is worth it. The fact is that the fee/tax/whatever has successfully dissuaded enough people to get their own bags and avoid dumping these ones in the landfill.

The reason its being looked at now is because Miller f-ucked the pooch implementing it. If he was going to do it, he should have made it a real tax. In that way its a tax and you can fix that. Forcing a price to go into a retailers pockets is against the law. In the end Miller's f-uck up means bags may be free at some retailers now.

 

[CDNBear]

Of course they would, they only look at the economic side of things.

Correction, legal side of things.

The question is whether or not that service is worth it. The fact is that the fee/tax/whatever has successfully dissuaded enough people to get their own bags and avoid dumping these ones in the landfill.

While possibly violating a law.

It would probably be different, if the funds were actually going into green initiatives in the city.

 

[petros]

I've never seen a paper bag stuck high in a tree top.

 

[mentalfloss]

It would probably be different, if the funds were actually going into green initiatives in the city.

I know a lot of people say that this is simply a cash grab for retailers and that's a fair argument, and I'm not sure about the legality issues. I just don't like it when we have this mentality of looking at simply saving tax payer dollars. By all accounts, I agree we shouldn't be wasting taxpayer money, but that also entails an overview of the purpose of the service itself and whether we need it or not.

 

[petros]

There have got to be stats on which city or province is a champion of bag recycling and whether or not a fee is applied to plastic bags.

 

[CDNBear]

I just don't like it when we have this mentality of looking at simply saving tax payer dollars.

On this issue, that isn't part of my argument.

The tax, which I think is reasonable, because alternative are cheap and readily available, is not punitive.

By all accounts, I agree we shouldn't be wasting taxpayer money, but that also entails an overview of the purpose of the service itself and whether we need it or not.

That should have been taken into account, when the 'tax', and it really isn't, was imposed.

It wasn't. Toronto Council at that time really dropped the ball, to the tune of 5.4million dollars. That would have done wonders being directly applied to green initiatives in Toronto. Along the same lines as the cost of hunting tags, goes directly into wildlife management, not the general coffers. And certainly not into the coffers of large grocery chains.

 

[petros]

Apparently if given the opportunity people will recycle.

Does GTA charge an annual fee for curbside recycling? If so you're paying twice on a plastic bag.

 

[Niflmir]

I don't really understand how it is not a tax. Is it because the cost is fixed and not a percentage, or does the government not claim the 5 cents?

 

[CDNBear]

I don't really understand how it is not a tax. Is it because the cost is fixed and not a percentage, or does the government not claim the 5 cents?

The City of Toronto does not collect the fee. It enforces the collection of the fee.

The fee itself, goes directly into the accounts of the applicable businesses.

 

[petros]

That is the same as here. Superstore dings you a nickel a bag, the rest of the markets are free even ExtraFoods which is the same flippin' company. Bags get recycled with or without the nickel if recycling is available.

 

[Niflmir]

The City of Toronto does not collect the fee. It enforces the collection of the fee.

The fee itself, goes directly into the accounts of the applicable businesses.

I see, it is indeed not a tax. The city might be out on a limb with that one...

 

[CDNBear]

I see, it is indeed not a tax. The city might be out on a limb with that one...

That's how it looks.

It's a shame really. $5.4million, could have done wonders for green projects.

 

[Niflmir]

That's how it looks.

It's a shame really. $5.4million, could have done wonders for green projects.

On top of that, the tax would undoubtedly be legal, while an enforced fee seems highly dubious. It just seems like an all round badly thought out solution to the problem.

 

[CDNBear]

On top of that, the tax would undoubtedly be legal, while an enforced fee seems highly dubious. It just seems like an all round badly thought out solution to the problem.

Coming up with poorly thought out kneejerk solutions, has been a serious issue with Toronto Mayors for some time.

 

[SLM]

Coming up with poorly thought out kneejerk solutions, has been a serious issue with Toronto Mayors for some time.

Maybe so but this has gone so far beyond Toronto what possible difference could it make to have a big fuss over it now? I'm pretty sure it's now ensconced into corporate policy for all major retailers.

Personally I prefer the reusable bags, the ones they charge you a nickle for are crap and fall apart.

 

[Niflmir]

Coming up with poorly thought out kneejerk solutions, has been a serious issue with Toronto Mayors for some time.

I still remember the winter where they were the only city that couldn't figure out how to handle all the snow and the military got called.