Regarding the May 15 story about County Commissioner Tom Mielke’s suggestion to tax newspapers because newspapers become litter, he should take a closer look at litter in our community. I haven’t seen many newspapers littering our streets. Most of the litter I see is soft drink cups, hamburger wrappers, soda cans and bottles, probably mostly thrown on the street by people who don’t read newspapers or much of anything else.
Newspapers have a financially difficult enough time already without this ill-conceived tax. If Mielke wants to tax businesses whose products contribute to the litter problem, he should suggest taxing fast food establishments, convenience stores, and such that create the stuff we commonly see littering our streets.
He says the funds “will be used exclusively for use of a healthier community.” Let the fast food establishments and convenience stores pass the tax along to those who litter the streets, and maybe the people who buy the junk food won’t be able to afford as much of it, hence cutting down on the litter problem and getting healthier by losing a little weight in the process.
Mielke should use his time more productively for our community than spend time on harebrained ideas like this one.
