The straw that broke California's back

[Great Lakes Municipalities]

It's funny to me how Americans are so astonished at the idea of cutting consumption of useless products. Do you really need a straw to drink things if you are able-bodied? No, you don't. If anything, if you really want your straws, make them biodegradable. If you require all disposable things to be biodegradable, from packaging to disposable plastic/cutlery, you'd totally evade this problem.

[Fartsniffage]

Source.

Here is IRS Data from 2015, showing total collections from California were $345 Billion. According to the Californian legislature, in 2014 they received $368 Billion in Federal funds.

Your source says the IRS received $405,851,295 from California?

Page 12, Table 5.

[Oil exporting People]

Your source says the IRS received $405,851,295 from California?

Page 12, Table 5.

I wrote down the $345 Billion total by mistake (Was looking at older stats I had saved); scrolling down to #Table 8 on Page 19 shows total refunds to California were $43 Billion. $405 Billion minus that equals a net collection of $362 Billion from California, so $6 Billion less than what the Federal Government paid into the State for 2015.

[Kassaran]

I remember when you started you claimed you were studying law, that means you must be at least near or over 30 now.. I'd have thought you'd grow out of being a complete dick but you continue to surprise me with your persistence in being an edgy teenager.

I remember when moderation used to care about flaming on both sides of the political spectrum. However, seeing that this:

Inb4 leftists find an excuse to defend this.

"Inb4" is spam. Don't do it.

is apparently more so important... I can see that's clearly no longer the case.

Onto the actual shenanigans of my own homestate, this is entirely laughable. I don't care how many arguments to pathos you have to use to try and declare that plastic straws somehow are the big threat. California couldn't even holdover their plastic bag 'ban'... or whatever that was supposed to be. To be honest it's the 'erudite' masses of cosmopolitan Southern Californians that make this big stink... and to be fair to call them masses is hardly accurate. They're a vocal minority that just happened to be on the 'correct' side of the currently trending spectrum. Environmental activism won't come from forcing people to find alternative ways to obtain straws defacto. It's going to come from actual education of the ignorant and relatively careless masses.

> Has highest poverty rate in the nation
> Has decriminalized HIV spreading
> Is debating merits of banning straws

>Brings in more money to the union then it takes in taxes
>HIV isn't a death sentence anymore
>Stupid law but nothing apocalyptic

Well, I'm not knowledgeable in the first argument... but I can say this much on the second: HIV still ruins your life if not by ending it. The social and personal stigma related to it is nothing short of having been told you have leprosy a hundred years or so ago... whenever we made it non-lethal, but still persistent. If we learn to cure it, alongside other STD's, sure! That'll be fine to decriminalize it...

But decriminalizing it while it can incur serious penalties on people? Not very 'SoCal'. I honestly am for decriminalizing of it because it shouldn't be the government's job to tell people where not to get their kicks. You don't want an STD? Take the extra time to go with your selected partner to get openly tested, get it confirmed, then go to town. By the gods you'd think people had to have sex or they'd die listening to the drivel they'd spew... go use your meat-beaters if you gotta.

[Katganistan]

Don't want your fish or meat to be squeaky clean before you eat it?

I'd rather it's not still squeaking just before I eat it. :

Then you KNOW it's fresh.

[Greed and Death]

Never thought California has so much reach as to affect other states and nations.

Its an economies of scale thing.

[Risottia]

Why is this a thread? You get a straw if you ask for one.

Because the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT of the AMERICAN PEOPLE to GET FREE STRAWS WITH EVERY DRINK WITHOUT ASKING FOR THEM is being TRAMPLED UPON by the EVIL CALIFORNIAN LIBERALS!!!

[Greed and Death]

Why is this a thread? You get a straw if you ask for one.

Because the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT of the AMERICAN PEOPLE to GET FREE STRAWS WITH EVERY DRINK WITHOUT ASKING FOR THEM is being TRAMPLED UPON by the EVIL CALIFORNIAN LIBERALS!!!

Trump is using your post as justification to suspend California's Civilian govnerment.

[Katganistan]

This will end the same way as the plastic ban bag. In the end people who don't use straws won't be given them (What a radical concept) and they'll charge those of us who do an extra ten cent tax (Except this time there's no tax). We won't care though because the new CA safe straws will be end up being better than whatever old piece of shit straws the place was using.

I don't even think there should be a charge for plastic bags. They should just no longer exist period.

String bags, or reusable plastic/canvas totes exist.

[Katganistan]

They're not even banning them.
You only need ask for one. I don't see it much different than when you ask for extra ketchup packets, or (at Taco Bell) fire sauce or pepper packet or whatever.

At the Taco Bell my sister works at, you don't even need to ask for those. They just have them out to grab.

Well, at drive-thru....

[The Black Forrest]

Because the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT of the AMERICAN PEOPLE to GET FREE STRAWS WITH EVERY DRINK WITHOUT ASKING FOR THEM is being TRAMPLED UPON by the EVIL CALIFORNIAN LIBERALS!!!

Trump is using your post as justification to suspend California's Civilian govnerment.

I am ok with him suspending the govnerment.

[Corrian]

At the Taco Bell my sister works at, you don't even need to ask for those. They just have them out to grab.

Well, at drive-thru....

True

[Corrian]

I don't even think there should be a charge for plastic bags. They should just no longer exist period.

String bags, or reusable plastic/canvas totes exist.

Exactly.

[Katganistan]

String bags, or reusable plastic/canvas totes exist.

Exactly.

I have a variety depending on what I bring back.

These are nice, hold about two paper bags' worth of groceries.

I have many of these: they usually cost a buck.

I have some of these recycled plastic totes too.

Jute totes, too, and cooler bags for ice cream and other perishables.

[Oil exporting People]

Well, at drive-thru....

At the Taco Bells I go to, they ask me if I want sauce, not the other way. They also give me a shit ton of napkins, but that's beside the point.

[The Liberated Territories]

Commiefornia has been long gone already, Donut

[Ors Might]

So this law makes it so people have to ask for straws? Does California’s government really think that this’ll put that much of a dent in plastic consumption? I dunno, maybe it’s different over there but where I live it’s common to ask for straws even if it’s a place that normally gives you straws. Granted it’s almost always with fast food joints but my point still stands. This seems like it’ll be ineffective at best.

[Salandriagado]

I remember when you started you claimed you were studying law, that means you must be at least near or over 30 now.. I'd have thought you'd grow out of being a complete dick but you continue to surprise me with your persistence in being an edgy teenager.

I remember when moderation used to care about flaming on both sides of the political spectrum. However, seeing that this:

"Inb4" is spam. Don't do it.

is apparently more so important... I can see that's clearly no longer the case.

It hasn't been ruled on because nobody reported it. I just fixed that.

[Greed and Death]

So this law makes it so people have to ask for straws? Does California’s government really think that this’ll put that much of a dent in plastic consumption? I dunno, maybe it’s different over there but where I live it’s common to ask for straws even if it’s a place that normally gives you straws. Granted it’s almost always with fast food joints but my point still stands. This seems like it’ll be ineffective at best.

Well for fast food restaurants dealing with customers asking for things will be a pain. So I imagine they will switch to cardboard straws.

At the end of the day I do not think the law is so bad. Food prices might go up slightly but plastic is becoming a problem.

[Farnhamia]

Comedy is not a good defense.

I remember when you started you claimed you were studying law, that means you must be at least near or over 30 now.. I'd have thought you'd grow out of being a complete dick but you continue to surprise me with your persistence in being an edgy teenager.

*** Warned for flaming. ***

[Ethel mermania]

So this law makes it so people have to ask for straws? Does California’s government really think that this’ll put that much of a dent in plastic consumption? I dunno, maybe it’s different over there but where I live it’s common to ask for straws even if it’s a place that normally gives you straws. Granted it’s almost always with fast food joints but my point still stands. This seems like it’ll be ineffective at best.

This isn't about plastic consumption. It Is about small straws gettING into fresh and salt water estuaries, and playing havoc with th aquatic life.

[Ors Might]

So this law makes it so people have to ask for straws? Does California’s government really think that this’ll put that much of a dent in plastic consumption? I dunno, maybe it’s different over there but where I live it’s common to ask for straws even if it’s a place that normally gives you straws. Granted it’s almost always with fast food joints but my point still stands. This seems like it’ll be ineffective at best.

This isn't about plastic consumption. It Is about small straws gettING into fresh and salt water estuaries, and playing havoc with th aquatic life.

Even so, how effective do you think this law will be in the long run? Do you really see consumers not asking for those straws?

[Geilinor]

This isn't about plastic consumption. It Is about small straws gettING into fresh and salt water estuaries, and playing havoc with th aquatic life.

Even so, how effective do you think this law will be in the long run? Do you really see consumers not asking for those straws?

Hopefully it will cut down on people taking unnecessary straws.

[The Black Forrest]

Even so, how effective do you think this law will be in the long run? Do you really see consumers not asking for those straws?

Hopefully it will cut down on people taking unnecessary straws.

Indeed. I remember the outrage and "stupid California" comments when they went after the plastic ring things( I forget what they are called) for 6-packs.

What exists now (I believe) can be recycled so it's not as bad as it once was......

[Ethel mermania]

This isn't about plastic consumption. It Is about small straws gettING into fresh and salt water estuaries, and playing havoc with th aquatic life.

Even so, how effective do you think this law will be in the long run? Do you really see consumers not asking for those straws?

I know if I get a soda at a drive thru I want a straw with the drink. It's more about the store throwing 10 of them in a bag and those getting loose. My issue with the law, and why I am ok with saying. "Those idiot Californians " is they make it a crime.