STOPPING DE BLASIO’S BAG TAX: NEW YORK STATE STEPS IN

Senator Simcha Felder and Assemblyman Michael Cusick are working to prevent Mayor de Blasio’s upcoming Feb. 15th implementation of the bag tax. Felder, Cusick and their colleagues from both sides of the aisle and both houses are asking New Yorkers to contact their elected officials and community leaders to ask Mayor de Blasio not to force New Yorkers to pay a nickel for every bag.

“Many families have a hard time just getting by, paying for groceries, rent and heat, and now the Mayor wants to shake them down every time they shop just for the privilege of using a plastic bag,” said Senator Felder, who has fought the plastic bag tax since his days as a NY City Councilman. “Mayor de Blasio, please do not nickel and dime New Yorkers with another tax. You always talk about taxing the 1% and now you will be burdening everyone else, the other 99%. This will hurt lower- and middle-income families who already struggle. I'm asking New Yorkers to stand up and tell the Mayor that this bag tax has to go.”

Cusick declared, “As the Assembly Member who represents and helped to close the former Fresh Kills Landfill, I am all too familiar with the harm that improperly disposed plastic bags do to our environment and to the cleanliness of our communities. However, a charge for plastic and paper bags in the City of New York will not solve this problem; instead it is a misguided attempt that will only squeeze more money from the hardworking families of our City. I am proud to Sponsor this legislation to prohibit this tax on consumers from being enacted, and I urge my colleagues in State and City government to come together to develop sensible and honest solutions that will both benefit our environment and the budgets of the families we represent.”

When Felder and Cusick made an effort to stop the bag tax last legislative session, their bill saw broad bipartisan support and passed in the Senate but was tabled in the Assembly pending promised changes by the City Council. But nothing changed except the implementation date of the tax.

“The City Counsel and Mayor wanted to irritate New Yorkers with this bag tax. They’ve succeeded,” said Felder.