“With today’s vote, the State Senate has struck a bipartisan blow for economic fairness against a backdoor, regressive tax. The city’s attempt to charge individuals a nickel per plastic bag is well-intentioned, yet poorly executed, and I congratulate State Senator Simcha Felder and his colleagues for recognizing as much. Lower income New Yorkers will be disproportionately burdened by this proposal. In addition, this new law will put a strain on the relationship between local and small businesses and their most loyal customers, potentially causing those customers to spend less money in their neighborhoods and harming our local economies.
“Everyone agrees that these bags are an environmental hazard, but the bag tax is not an effective way to reduce their impact on our communities. Our city needs to consider more creative ways to reduce litter and pollution, as well as more creative ways to spend any funding derived through such efforts. We cannot place a new tax on the backs of the poor and call it progressive government,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
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