The City of Seattle is proposing a 20-cent charge to customers using paper or plastic bags supplied by the merchant. Since the city is not providing the bags for sale to the customer by the merchant what is the purpose of the 20-cent charge? I feel that it is a tax on the use of the bag.

Some argue that it is not a tax since you have the choice of providing a bag to carry your purchase. With this type of reasoning if you prefer not to drive there is no gas tax. If you make purchases out of state to avoid state fees there is no sales tax.

I am sorry but I see the 20-cent charge as a tax and with the economy in such bad shape I can see no reason to slap another tax on the public, especially when it will hit in the grocery store where prices are already high.

Robert C. Hendrickson

Crown Hill