Cheers: To people and companies that go the extra mile to reuse, recycle and compost. A case in point is Vancouver-based Burgerville, which switched to plant-based materials for most packaging, and then installed composting stations at 22 of its 39 restaurants. For diners, the plant-based packaging functions as well as its nonrecyclable counterparts. Afterward, the cups, lids, straws and wrappers, as well as leftover food, is taken to a commercial composting facility. The company is the first to admit that it’s not a perfect solution — the restaurants still generate some trash — but its leadership is admirable.
Jeers: To a lame-brained group of U.S. senators who would add insult to injury by taxing carry-on bag fees. Syndicated financial columnist Michelle Singletary reported the senators propose extending the 7.5 percent federal excise tax currently levied on airline tickets to carry-on bags fees. So far, only Spirit Airlines, a low-budget carrier that does not serve PDX, is planning a carry-on fee but has announced it will be a whopping $45 per bag. The senators reason that extending the excise tax would embarrass the airline into reigning in the fee and thus protect passengers. That may be logical to politicians, but it sounds to us like a way for the government to grab $3.38 while our wallets are open.
Cheers: To our Neighbors on Watch. This growing Vancouver police program already has put nearly 50 trained volunteers on the street, where they are on the lookout for suspicious activity. This is about as far from vigilante justice as you can get. The volunteers, who wear greenish-yellow vests, are trained to report their observations via two-way radio but not intervene in a dangerous situation. Sometimes they might serve as an adjunct to police. For example, volunteers recently delivered fliers to gas station operators to warn them about credit card thieves tampering with gas pumps. Other volunteers staffed the department’s mobile observation tower during the holiday shopping season, looking for — and at least once — spotting trouble. For more information or to volunteer, call 360-487-7467.
Jeers: To the Washington Federation of State Employees, which in a fit of pique has announced it is withholding endorsements of all the incumbent Democratic legislators running for re-election in the fall. Their complaint is that the majority Democrats (traditionally the union’s closest friends) cut too much from the budget. They are especially unhappy about the Legislature imposing a few furlough days for some state workers, according to The Olympian. What the union should realize is that many voters see these state workers as suffering from a recessionary hangnail while many voters have a broken arm or worse. While many taxpayers would agree the Democrats shirked their duty, it’s hardly because the state isn’t spending enough.
