So other nations have to be penalized for China's mismanagement? I don't think we want to go down that road.

I read that as we are in the top 20 of plastic pollution. There are 195 countries so we are in the top 10% of contributors. Because china is worse we should ignore it? Seems like a pretty low standard to set. Outrage machine? The outraged seem to be all the children crying in the street over the fact that they won't get a straw at McDonald's. Never mind, I haven't seen that. Without this forum, I wouldn't have known anyone would be outraged.
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I guess some just can't comprehend that it isn't really about the straws, its about the Ban.

Funny. But, and I am sure the faux news types won't tell you this, straws aren't banned outright in the places that have done it. It is a restaurant and bar ban. That little girl can take her straw anywhere she wants. Like they used to say at the end of gi Joe, knowing is half the battle.
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I know that is what it is about for some of you. Poor personal freedom infringed now if you go to Seattle they won't stick a plastic straw in your soda without asking like they did last year. What is this world coming to?
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Dunno - persoanlly I think it should bre recycled and ground here and then reused.

How much of the world's mismanaged plastic originated from China?

But going with your premise - how far do you want to go back with the plastic? To the middle East as oil / petroleum products? Dinosaurs? This is a good point - let's ban Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Flora and Fauna For Little Sally's straw ; )

The whole entire notion is ludicrous, that banning of straws anywhere will truly curtail the plastioceanic gyres that blight the oceans.

Want to fight pollution? Fine the people polluting. There are existing laws for this, rarely enforced. Start there.

And by the above NEU study we are 1/20th what the leading producer of tonnes of plastic pollution. If you add all other 175 producers we probably 1/30th of total plastipollution. But Santa Barbara will feel good they did something goshdarnit ; )

Someone needs to print a Rascinate out of recycled Plastic Straws, next to their AR15

Its not like the restaurants got together and said, this is a good idea, lets do it. The city councils are directing them to do it. Government taking time out of their busy days to legislate....straws...because......Turtles. Glad you're OK with that. Explains a lot

Glad to see that everything you learned in life you learned from GI Joe....explains even more.

I think the Democratic Senators from California are in the process of introducing a bill called "The Extinct Species Protection Act" in the hopes of sustaining the numbers of all species currently listed as Extinct. Keeping these numbers at a Sustainable level will cost the tax payers, but it will be worth it in the end if we can keep just one Dodo colony at its current sustainable level.

I can just see Sarah Mclachlan cuddling up to a cave etching of a starving Dire Wolf pup.

Right and 50 years ago the textile companies in Connecticut dumped the dyes straight in the rivers and there was lead in gasoline. The companies didn't get together and say this is a bad idea, the government regulated it because it had negative impacts. The fact that your panties are in a bunch says more about you than the fact that I am ok with local governments having ordinances.
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my panties arent in a bunch, I just think its one of the stupidest things I've seen in awhile.

on an I.Q. scale it falls between "Has to eat Oatmeal with a Straw" and 'Just Pull the Plug"

But, if your wish is to someday have the Government wipe your ass for you....enjoy

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/jumbo-...0-ct/155875.ip

It's a complex systems problem.

Sounds like we've been "responsibly" exporting plastic to China for cheap disposal and what we get for our money is poor management which has a global impact.

Yes, banning straws isn't going to fix the problem but this is like the climate deniers who scoff at every mention to kill the debate ignoring that we still have a big issue to address.

Example of good regulation :btu: - add clean air to that as well.

But straws?

We have existing laws that will reduce existing plastic polution. Having the PD pull over Billy Schmucaktelli and give him a fine when he tosses a Big Mack Combo out the window might be a good start.

Hopefully the judge does not dismiss it for cruel and unusual punishment like they do in so many instances.

Between the lack of enforcement and the lack of judicial sentencing there is little deterrence to the litterbug.

I'm pretty confident you do not litter, I know I don't and I'm pretty sure most (all?) people here don't.

remember the Light bulb outrage

2010 Right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh cited promotion of eco-friendly light bulbs No Republican complicit in nannyism, statism, can be rewarded .”


Incandescent bulbs subject to strict efficiency standards

The effect will be to make current 100-watt bulbs obsolete — and that has sent conservative lawmakers, libertarians, some environmental activists and owners of Easy-Bake Ovens into a frenzy of activity to get the law repealed or, at least, to stockpile the bulbs before they disappear from store shelves.

Now the right and others are outrage about going back to paper Straws.... its bringing something back from the 50's you think they would be excited seeing they love Nostalgic policys

Go try to drink a Strawberry Fribble through a Paper Straw.

We'll wait ; )

(side note; Haven't had one in 30 years but dang it sounds good, no? :tooth: )

Stupidest just after print your own a.r. 15? I am not sure why you care what Seattle and cities in California do, but I imagine the Rush and Hannity types are getting their listeners lathered up.
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Not sure that's the point. It's the volume of plastics that are put into the system in general that's leading to the ocean volumes regardless of the entry point via trash, recycling mishandling, tsunami, fishing nets etc...

Don't know what a strawberry Fribble is, but bet it has to melt a little before it works in a plastic straw. Something tells me drinking it out of a lid similar to a hot coffee lidvwill work just fine. Or buy stock in wheat straw, then you can make money at a lower tax rate than your regular job and you will help the farmers hammered by Tweety's tariffs who aren't covered by his pre-election bribes, I mean handouts, no subsidies it is . More manly to drink out of a real straw straw anyway.
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I think there is a great misunderstanding about the waste cycle. Into the trash often times doesn't equate to into the landfill for eternity. Anyway, if people in Seattle don't like it, they will vote out the council or bring their own straws. They won't need the government to wipe anything for them.
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let bring this back a bit


Despite Strong Economy, Federal Deficit Soars


Corporate tax receipts are down for the year, while government spending is up. Even with a fast-growing economy, the Treasury Department expects to borrow more than $750 billion to pay its bills during the last six months of this year.

"The federal budget deficit is ballooning, skyrocketing, soaring, whichever way you want to describe it,"

"Let me be 100 percent clear about one thing: The tax cuts are never going to pay for themselves," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "They can grow the economy, but not enough to come anywhere close to offsetting the cost of them."

"Last time we had a recession, our debt was half the level it is today, relative to the economy,"


And all this is Good How ??? Trump has trump has scammed America His base see him as infallible believe him over facts ..

Its not Trump deranged syndrome thats the issue in America .. the issues is with his Base its called the stockholm syndrome..

That’s why I drink beer, turn each can in to pay for more beer, love my hops. Straws are for kids.
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Improve the recycling

WTH were you the last dozen years?

yeah...didn't they call it "new normal" back then?

Yup, now the deficit is important to Wayne.
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You willing to fund that with your tax dollars? It isn't in the interest of the recycling companies to do that. They recycle for profit. They have no incentive to upgrade all the machinery even if the technology existed The market in China for recycled material has dried up as it is. I understand people view this as solely a personal freedom issue, but when the stuff someone uses becomes an external problem, personal freedom has limits. The impact of plastic on wildlife, and fisheries in particular, is dramatic and the cost to purchase a straw or plastic bag doesn't come close to the economic impact associated with them as waste.

How about this? Tax the straws at a rate that will allow the recycling companies to upgrade the machinery to collect the straws for recycling. Probably end up being a few cents per straw given the 500 million a day that are used in USA. All the tax goes to fund upgrades. Temporary tax of a year or two, whatever is needed. Pretty sure a bunch of people that are upset about local ordinances banning straws would be equally upset about a tax to deal with the problem.

:humpty:

I know you are a preteen, but don't make up quotes from me.
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sticks and stones

Where are quotation marks?
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fixed it...:rotf2:

Tough time in middle school for you I bet...
And your teachers didn't teach you how to selectively quote either.
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yeah....puberty and everything...tough time

Don't worry, it gets better eventually for most people.
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I dont care about deficits I clearly understand they are part of Running a country in the long term .... the point is Republican have stated they cared about deficits as well as some here ..until Trump took office that is ....


But the Tax cut and better GDP were sold as they would pay for themselves and reduce the deficit with an increase in Tax revenue because of the booming economy.... Seems not to be the case :kewl:

I am already paying Taxes at an exhorbitant rate for tons of services I don't get (some of which I'm fine with, some not).

Small deficits are OK to run a country, not a deficit that is 6 times annual receipts.

The fact that YOU don't care about deficits clearly establishes your credibility when it comes to things financial ; ) and if one can further draw conclusions...

I agree, taxes are already high, the recycling companies have no financial incentive to upgrade equipment, and plastic is a problem. A local ordinance isn't THAT crazy.

Also, had to check and, no surprise,
https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2...-2/app-straws/

Wondered why guys in New England cared what localities on the west coast were up to.

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Federal tax receipts are over 3 trillion in recent years, compared to Bush era deficts of over a trillion, Obama era deficits of 5-600 Billion or the mushrooming Trump deficits that will take us back over a trillion for the next decade.

While this doesn't seem to look good for Republicans it's nowhere near the 6x multiple you claim. The fact that YOU don't understand deficits clearly establishes your credibility when it comes to things financial ; ) and if one can further draw conclusions...

I can draw the conclusion that you are a world class cherry-picker of data. If you ignore Obama's first 4 years, yes the deficits shrank. to half a trillion You conveniently left out that (1) his deficits were much larger in his first 4 years, and that the democrats controlled congress when the deficits were massive, and the GOP controlled congress (and this the budgets) when his deficits came down.

If you want to say conservatives are hypocrites about going berserk about deficits under Obama and now silent, that's 100% legitimate. But Obama added more to the debt than anyone before him.

You should read this Jim, the whole thing.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjon...or-w-bush/amp/
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Do all of Bush and all of Obama - don't cherry pick

P.S. - I was against both in this regard :lasso: