Recycle Plastic Shopping Bags Reject Bans

As many know, Cuyahoga County Council enacted a regulation effectively banning single use plastic shopping bags to commence on Jan. 1, 2020. This ban would restrict consumer choices and burden businesses in the affected municipalities.

Interestingly and correctly, some Cuyahoga County communities are already opting out of the excessive and restrictive mandate. Imposing bans or fees on plastic shopping bags, though perhaps well intended, misses the mark in many ways.

Brown paper grocery bags are a suggested alternative. They hold stuff well, but these old-fashioned friends tear easily and get soggy. For these reasons, paper bags are less likely be reused at home as trash can liners (or for doggy doo), which means higher sales of wastebasket liners that are made of, you guessed it, plastic.

The cost to grocers of providing paper bags is approximately double that of plastic. More resources go into manufacturing and shipping paper bags, and the manufacturing process causes more pollution and waste. Producing plastic bags has become more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

Sturdy, reusable plastic shopping bags are an alternative and are symbols of environmental responsibility everywhere, right? Actually, wrong! A report published just days ago from the U.K. suggests that the movement to sell and reuse heavy duty plastic bags has been an utter failure. The report states the volume of plastics has increased and the movement has failed to establish a pattern of reuse. Thats right, the monster bags sold as bags for life are reported to function as bags for a week and are doing more harm than good.

Reusable bags, whether heavy plastic or cloth, should come with imprinted health warning labels. Reusables, particularly when kept in a hot car during summer, can become breeding grounds for bacteria. It is recommended to wash fabric bags and to disinfect reusable plastic bags after each use, dry thoroughly and store in a cool, dry place.

It is widely recommended to use separate bags for raw meats, seafood and poultry. In fact, the USDA and others recommend placing these foods in separate plastic bags to prevent juices from contaminating other foods. Another recommendation is to discard worn out reusables that are permanently soiled when in doubt, throw it out!

Bills have been introduced in both the Ohio House and Senate that would restrain municipalities from enacting local taxes and bans on auxiliary containers. Existing anti-littering laws would be clarified to include auxiliary containers. This is being promoted by environmental ideologues as a violation of home rule in Ohio.

In reality, the legislators sponsoring these bills are farsighted and seek to prevent Ohio from becoming a patchwork of local plastic restrictions and regulations. Consumers and businesses in Ohio should have consistent, uniform and easy-to-understand regulations. I fully support House Bill 242 and Senate Bill 222.

In closing, I highly recommend recycling single use plastic bags. It is very easy to take them back to grocery stores that have conveniently placed recycle receptacles.

Kathy JohnsonChardon Township

This letter is in response to Barbara Partingtons letter to the editor printed in your publication on Dec. 5, 2019, misleadingly alleging Quid Pro Quo Geauga Style.

Ms. Partington falsely alleged that the Probate/Juvenile Courts attempt to pay a law firm for one of their attorneys, Bill Seitz, to teach a complicated portion of the Courts Ohio Supreme Court approved CLE seminar was somehow quid pro quo.

Of course this assertion is absurd: the Probate/Juvenile Court was billed by the law firm, not their attorney Mr. Seitz personally; and since he is not a partner at the law firm, Mr. Seitz is a salaried employee and, therefore, does not receive a penny of the amount billed to the Court for the firms participation in the Courts CLE course.

Neither Judge Grendell nor Mr. Seitz would ever use public funds for which they are entrusted for personal gain. Ever.

The CLE course was pre-approved by the Ohio Supreme Court and 42 attorneys in attendance received credit for their attendance. The particular topic taught by Mr. Seitz required legal research.

While Ms. Partington questions why the Court would choose an attorney whose limited law firm bio does not happen to list juvenile law as one of his areas of practice, Mr. Seitz taught on statutory and Ohio Supreme Court Rules affecting the Juvenile Court, and he has been a lecturer for nearly 20 years, teaching judges at Judicial Seminars for Appellate Courts, Federal Courts, and local attorneys. Mr. Seitz is a well-recognized lawyer with over 40 years in legal practice, and 19 years in the Ohio Legislature, who is in great demand for his knowledgeable teaching at the local, state and national levels.

The Court was confident that his extensive legislative knowledge and legal teaching experience would ensure that the complicated legal topic would be taught accurately and in an engaging way. Not surprisingly, attendees at the Courts CLE course rated Mr. Seitz most highly of all the speakers.

Regarding whether the other instructors at the CLE course were compensated, two of the instructors work for the Court and were, therefore, compensated by their normal salaries. One instructor taught as part of his normal job responsibilities for the State Treasurer, who does not charge others for the opportunity to promote his offices programs. The other instructor is a consultant for the Court who chose not to ask for additional compensation since his topic was adjunct to his consulting services for which he is already paid by the county.

Simply put, the law firm invoiced the Court for legitimate services rendered by one of its highly qualified attorneys, for a CLE course approved by the Ohio Supreme Court and for which approximately 40 attorneys are even more prepared to represent Geauga County residents in our Probate/Juvenile Court.

Kimberly LaurieCourt AdministratorGeauga County Probate/Juvenile Court

The Salvation Army of Geauga County is encouraging the community to give generously this season during the 2019 Red Kettle campaign.

Volunteers from the Geauga Rotary and youth members of the Interact Clubs and Chardon National Honor Society can be found ringing the bells during the month of December at various Walmart, Drug Mart and Giant Eagle locations across Geauga County, as well as Starbucks and Yours Truly in Chagrin Falls.

All donations placed in Geauga County Red Kettles are used to help families in Geauga County with emergency assistance for home heating costs, past due rent or transportation costs to work or medical appointments. These emergency services are funded year-round through the donations brought in by the Red Kettle campaign.

Forget your cash? New this year, scan the Kettle Pay tag to instantly donate via NFS enabled smartphone. Your donation makes a difference and the money raised stays local to help our neighbors.

Shop, then stop . . . at the Red Kettle this year.

Kathleen PoyarTreasurer, Salvation ArmyGeauga Service Unit

I wish the Protect Geauga Parks group knew Judge Tim Grendell the way that I do. Judge Grendell works tirelessly to ensure that Geaugas parks can be enjoyed by all of Geaugas residents.

In my opinion, Protect Geauga Parks represents a vocal minority that portrays Judge Grendell in an unfair and unflattering light, and attempts to smear him with unfounded claims for purely political reasons.

The residents of Geauga County should not be fooled.

Rev. Morris EasonRussell Township

It appears that many cannot think clearly enough to understand that they are not thinking clearly.

West Geauga parent Stephanie Anderson, an attorney (what?) said she was outraged (was her child outraged also?) at social studies teacher Wesley Rogges use of the two characters, calling it insensitive and inappropriate. If I were the teacher, I would invite Stephanie to class as a guest speaker.

It also appears that Stephanie is a member of the language, thought and speech police. Alert! Gaslighting, Targeting and Trigger Warnings! Students should not be sheltered from differing opinions while at the same time wanting to shelter students from differing opinions?

Mark Twain said he never let schooling interfere with his education. Maybe Tim Misny could intervene. Where is this parent going to send her child to law school? She seem to be a helicopter/snowplow parent. What would the ACLU think about this imbroglio/debacle/quagmire? Political sardonic cartoons/Ron Hill Edutoons? Censorship?

The First Amendment has five parts: Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly and Petition. I highly recommend inquiring:thefire.org(Foundation Individual Rights Education). Education NOT schooling involves: I disapprove of what you say but defend your right to say/write it. Voltaire.

The history of intellectual growth and discovery clearly demonstrates that the need for unfettered freedom, the right to think the unthinkable, discuss the unmentionable and challenge the unchallengable. A poets work is to name the unnameable to point at frauds to take sides start arguments shape the world and stop it from going to sleep (Salmon Rushdie). The satirist Voltaire took great pleasure and enjoyment from ridiculing, bewailing, mocking and scorning the absurdities of human behavior and attitudes.

David A. HancockChester Township

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