Yeah, color me shocked. And what is doubly impressive is how the folks in Seattle recently treated attempts to raise the costs of being green.

Plastic bag makers have lobbied hard to defeat the fee, outspending opponents about 15 to 1.

Adam Parmer, a spokesman for the Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax, said the results show the bag fee was "a costly, unnecessary tax" and the wrong approach to changing behavior.

"Seattle voters have made it clear that this is not the approach they want to take in protecting the environment," he said.

Supporters argue the fee would encourage more reusable bags, cut down on pollution and waste, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"This campaign is about much more than just one decision of the voters," said Rob Gala, a spokesman for Seattle Green Bag campaign, which backed the fee. "It's really about raising the awareness of voters, and we've really accomplished that."{yeah, to the tune of getting your sissy ass kicked all over Seattle-ed.}

Also in Seattle, unpopular Mayor Greg Nickels was narrowly trailing two challengers in his bid for a third term. Sierra Club activist Mike McGinn has a slim lead with 27 percent of the vote. Cell phone executive Joe Mallahan has 26 percent, while Nickels has 25 percent. The top two finishers will advance to the November Election.

Nickels, while prominent nationally for his initiatives to make the city greener, has been dogged locally by criticism of a sometimes heavy-handed style and of the city's {shitty-ed.} response to a December snowstorm that paralyzed Seattle for nearly two weeks.

I may have played around with this article just a bit.

What a shock that green intiatives are not very popular when people have to face up to the costs of them.

Posted by: eddiebear at 12:20 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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