People’s Republik Of California: Up To 6 Months In Jail, $1,000 Fine For Serving A Straw

Because they really, really care about the middle and lower classes, which make up 99.9% of those who work as servers

https://twitter.com/PoliticalShort/status/956612420201414656

From the link

Ian Calderon wants restaurateurs to think long and hard before giving you a straw.

Calderon, the Democratic majority leader in California’s lower house, has introduced a bill to stop sit-down restaurants from offering customers straws with their beverages unless they specifically request one. Under Calderon’s law, a waiter who serves a drink with an unrequested straw in it would face up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

“We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans,” Calderon explained in a press release.

This isn’t just Calderon’s crusade. The California cities of San Luis Obispo and Davis both passed straws-on-request laws last year, and Manhattan Beach maintains a prohibition on all disposable plastics. And up in Seattle, food service businesses won’t be allowed to offer plastic straws or utensils as of July.

Now, look, I can understand the sentiment that plastic straws are a big problem. They end up in the waterways, can cause serious problems with wildlife. But, where they tend to be a big problem is at the beach. Not in restaurants. When people are given a straw with a glass, they do not tend to take that drink with them. It tends to stay. People do not tend to pick them up and pocket them with the intention to create litter. Plus, this is California: I thought everyone was super environmentally conscious? No?

Anyhow, this being California, instead of just spreading awareness, asking restaurants to not provide a straw unless asked, they’re looking to go the authoritarian route with big punishment. It may not have been even voted on yet, but, what’s the chance this gets passed? 50/50? 60/40? 90/10? This is the majority leader of the California House who wants this. Democrats will want to keep him happy.

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5 Responses to “People’s Republik Of California: Up To 6 Months In Jail, $1,000 Fine For Serving A Straw”

  1. Jeffery says:

    Societies have a few strategies for addressing the negative externalities associated with market interactions. In this case, non-biodegradable straws end up polluting the environment. So what are the options? Biodegradable straws. An economic cost on the item, i.e., tax or requirement for payee to compensate for clean up. An outright ban.

    Do you see how a new gov’t regulation can actually become an economic stimulus? This could trigger the marketing of biodegradable straws! Those of us of a certain age actually remember paper straws.

    We doubt we will ever see a server prosecuted.

  2. Downunder says:

    This website needs more cowbell.

  3. Downunder says:

    Just as I suspected. JEFFERY is actually the Administrator of this website. As several of IM IP addresses have been blocked from commenting on this site for suggesting that JEFFERY is TEACH.

    I hate that crap. In Twitch they have gamers who use a technique to inflate their viewers to get more advertising to get more money for streaming.

    This is no different. Jeffery is nothing but a hit machine and a revenue source.

  4. Jeffery says:

    downy,

    Do you have evidence to support your claim that “several IM IP addresses have been blocked from commenting for suggesting I am TEACH”?

    We get it. This is a recent right-wing meme circulating on the right-wing blogs to try and get right-wing bloggers to purge their comments of contrary opinions that make right-wing “thinkers” uncomfortable.

    TEACH can ban me at any time. How much money do you suspect a site like this makes in a year?

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