Time for a sweeping plastic-bag ban

Atheists United spent three solid hours last Saturday cleaning up our north Glendale strip of the Glendale (2) Freeway, and by Monday there were already several "witches britches," as the British call plastic bags caught in trees and bushes, fluttering unattractively along the very area we had cleaned.

So kudos to Los Angeles County supervisors for banning single-use plastic bags in Los Angeles County ("La Crescenta says goodbye to plastic," Nov. 17), and let's hope Glendale and beyond follows suit.

It is always so interesting when politicians who oppose anything forward-looking raise the spector that it will drive businesses out of the state, as Supervisor Mike Antonovich did in voting against the bag ban.

They never cite a source for their data — I suspect because it can't be documented. Common sense would seem to say that stores now relieved of providing plastic bags and allowed, even mandated, to charge for paper bags are ahead financially.

It is really not that big a deal for shoppers to acquire a few reusable, washable, cloth bags and train themselves to bring them. I occasionally forget my wallet too, but I don't expect the store to provide me one.

I especially commend grocer Gus Malouf for stepping up and asking for this requirement to be "imposed," quoting Antonovich, on Cordon's Ranch Market. Just one of many reasons why we appreciate Cordon's!

Meanwhile, a sadly un-green observation: that the trees along Honolulu Avenue have once again been butchered to install out-of-date incandescent Christmas lights, presumably to be cut down and discarded after one use.

Doesn't matter who is paying for them, this is wrong. Please, someone tell us this isn't the plan yet again.

Roberta Medford

Montrose