They’re Coming For Your Plastic New Jersey

Remember way back in the beginning of the month when we warned you a ban on plastics was coming?

Some of you laughed. The Senate President was on our radio show and, based on his response that you “can introduce any bill,” I don’t think he believed this was coming. He was definitely not yet aware of the legislative hearing that was held last week when we asked him in advance of that hearing on our show.

According to one published report some people in the legislature are marching full steam ahead to ban plastics:

State Sen. Bob Smith, D-Middlesex, who announced Murphy's intentions during a joint legislative hearing on plastics in Toms River, said his "ban bill" could see legislative action as early as mid-September.

"We will be working hard this fall on plastics legislation," Smith said after the hearing. "But we're going to take plenty of testimony. We want to hear from the people of New Jersey. We're not jamming anything down anybody's throat."

Come on Bob, you are jamming this down everybody’s throats. Your party controls the Senate, the Assembly and the Governor’s mansion, and the radicals control your party.

I fill my recycle can with paper and plastics and I drag that can all the way down my driveway every week. If everyone else followed the law there would be no reason to ban plastics. Maybe someone could invent a way to use the plastics to fill the potholes that are all over this state.

Besides, if you ban plastic bags what would Phil Murphy’s soccer team use for windows in the substandard housing he provides for the players?

Senator Smith is serious about a ban on plastics. He told the North Jersey Record:

"We heard testimony today from scientists who said that we now have plastic particles in our bodies, so it's become a public health issue," Smith said. "I think there is a lot of momentum for a ban, and I think we'll have it done by the end of the year."

I don’t know what scientists Smith heard from on that day but trust me, I have no plastic in my body. Thanks to a heart attack back in February I now have a team three different doctors that I can barely afford who never once said a word about plastic in my body and I think these doctors have made me take every test possible.

We moved from paper to plastic bags when I was a young man because plastic was better for the environment, or that’s how I remember it. A bunch of talk about saving the forests. Now because we saved the forests and completely mismanage them we have giant fires all over the western United States. Good job environmentalists!

And now we’re supposed to listen to the same groups that wanted us to switch to plastics and ban the plastics they wanted us to switch to in the first place. It’s like the environmentalists can’t make up their minds.

Given the high taxes and the high fees we all have to pay for the “privilege” of living in New Jersey you would think Senator Smith and his friends would work on making New Jersey more affordable.

Instead Senator Smith makes plastics a priority.

The War On Plastic Has Come To New Jersey

If you think your plastic straws are safe in New Jersey, think again.

There is a Bill in Trenton S2776 introduced June 25/A4330 introduced July 30 that “Prohibits use of plastic carryout bags, expanded polystyrene, and single-use plastic straws.”

Nothing is safe in this state, not plastic bags, Styrofoam containers or straws!

Don’t think this can’t happen. The Sierra Club is already pushing this! In fact, on August 6 the group issued a statement in which Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, states, “We will not reduce our plastic waste with a fee which is why New Jersey needs a statewide ban.”

Senate Bill S2776 is indeed a statewide ban. The “statement” portion of the bill is clear:

   This bill would prohibit stores and food service businesses from providing plastic carryout bags to their customers.  The bill would also prohibit any person from selling or offering for sale in the State any expanded polystyrene (commonly referred to as "Styrofoam") food service product and prohibit any food service business from selling or providing any food in an expanded polystyrene food service product.  Further, the bill would prohibit any food service business from selling or providing single-use plastic straws to customers.  The prohibitions in the bill would take effect one year after the date of enactment of the bill into law.

     A person who violates any provision of the bill would be subject to a penalty of up to $5,000 for each offense, and each day during which the violation continues would constitute a separate offense.

The Assembly version is identical.

The war on plastics is coming to New Jersey in full force. Senators Bob Smith and Linda Greenstein as primary sponsors of S2776 and Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin, Assemblymen James Kennedy and John McKeon as primary sponsors of A4330 are leading the charge.

Apparently, based on their nearly 1,100 word anti-plastics statement of August 6 legislators have enlisted the New Jersey Sierra Club as their army.

In that statement, the Sierra Club points out, “There will be a Senate and Assembly joint Committee meeting on plastics, including plastic bags, straws, and Styrofoam on August 23rd.” As of this morning we couldn’t find anything about this meeting on the State Legislature’s website, clicking August 23 on the calendar says, “No scheduled proceedings today.” We’ll keep watching because it’s time to stop the nonsense.

If the radicals in this state are successful in banning plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam what’s next? “Zip lock” baggies? The plastic bags I buy to pickup after my dog? Trash bags? The list goes on.

Maybe it’s time to call the sponsors of this ridiculous bill and remind them the remote control they use to tune to MSNBC is made of plastic as is the bottle they’re drinking their water from while being brainwashed watching the personalities on that channel.