Carleton Bryant The Washington Times - August 19, 2009, 08:00AM

Voters in Seattle have rejected a measure to help the environment by taxing users of disposable shopping bags, despite the city’s reputation for being green, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting.

The measure would have taxed shoppers 20 cents per plastic or paper bag to encourage a reduction in usage of such bags. Fifty-eight percent of Seattle voters said no.

SEE RELATED:

The plastics industry had spent $1.4 million lobbying against the measure; supporters of it spent $80,000.

Looks like you can put a price on convenience after all.

I think the supporters of the measure made a mistake in calling it a “tax.” They should have called it a “happy Earth donation.” Who could say no to that?

As a very wise person once said, “It’s not easy being green.” I think it was Kermit the Frog.