The citizens of Seattle were treated to another act in the political theatre directed by our amazing mayor, Greg Nickels. Over his tenure he has mastered the grand announcement with press releases, press conferences packed with bravado, and quiet orders to his bureaucratic underlings to toe the line or get out of his city government.

Many of his acts would be hilarious if they didn't stand to cost us citizens another bundle. Mayor Nickles and his policies are pushing our fine city to becoming one of the most expensive and restrictive in the nation.

This mayor seems to live for the spotlight as he issues his newest edict to change the world, but then he goes on his merry way leaving the "grand idea" to wither and die on the vine. For example, remember the loud push to clean up the crime and danger of Third Avenue and Pine Street downtown?

The mayor said after a few coats of paint and a temporary reassignment of a raft of police officers, that Third "feels safer, works better and looks great." And it actually did - for a while. Now the grit is back, the homeless are back, the drug deals are back and also back are the rowdies who harrass the many people forced to change buses there at night. The cops are largely gone.

Potholes were given their death warrant a while back, but so far little appears to have been done. Grand theatre was launched to give away a bunch of "home energy kits" and fluorescent light bulbs that don't light very well. On and on.

Now we have a proposed ban on Styrofoam food containers, probably not a bad idea but why do we need city nannies to issue a law when a bit of education will work?

Combined with this latest act is a proposed 20-cent per paper or plastic bag tax. This is supposed to force people to use reusable bags (which also take energy to make). Businesses are already springing up to take advantage of selling these bags to the public, a cost heretofore absorbed by the grocers and drugstores.

The mayor says the "fee" will bring in $10 million to the city, with $2 million for promotion of the reusable bags and $8 million "will go toward waste prevention and recycling programs and environment education programs."

Yes, and coupled with an expectant increase in garbage rates to handle food waste disposal. Taxpayers would get it both ways from our friend, Greg, and Mr. Conlin's council.

Now we understand that opposing something "green" in Seattle is akin to being Rep. Jim McDermott in Baghdad before the Iraq war. We will be called unpatriotic and unAmerican, even enemies of the earth.

We do not support the continued use of plastic bags, but we do not think they should be declared illegal. Education will do the job better - and cheaper.

We think the argument against paper bags is dumb. The reasoning is no bags, fewer trees cut down. Next the mayor will want to outlaw newspapers, magazines and maybe even his own press releases (now, there is a thought).

This is poltical theatre, however, folks. The mayor and the council president have had their two days on page one of the metro daily papers and on the TV channels. Now the idea can rest quietly and maybe even disappear.

One good sign is Councilman Tom Rasmussen, who said he would wait to hear what the people say before making up his mind on whether to vote for or against the bag fee.

We hope you all tell the councilman and the mayor that this idea should be recycled along with this newspaper when you are done enjoying the performance.

- Jack Mayne