Re “Of Mandell and Plastic Bags People”
If the debate over the nature and the producer of the Summer Music Festival turns to whether the city should fund the concerts Downtown, then I have an idea:
The city should do a door-to-door survey of the local businesses to see what the true economic benefit is, including the hard-to- determine regional visibility of Downtown Culver City.
Do the concerts bring in lots of new people, something badly needed by local businesses in these economic times?
Maybe not shopping on Concert Night but certainly when they return to see what is available to them. It is an inexpensive way of advertising the city and its features.
As to the plastic bags:
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
As the owner of a restaurant, and one formerly in Downtown, I can tell you that if we use paper, people are mad due to the forests being destroyed.
If we use plastic, people are mad because of the lack of bio- degradable product in the dumps.
Yet if you ask someone to pay for a cloth re-usable bag, one that may, or probably will, cause a cross contamination issue with food, and they will opt for the plastic or paper bags.
While that is not everyone, it IS the majority.
Now look through the trash and see how many plastic bags are thrown out, crumpled up and empty.
Add to that the additional costs to the businesses and loss of jobs locally.
It just makes one wonder why nobody ever thinks issues out completely and objectively.
State Sen. Curren D. Price Jr. (D-Culver City) did the right thing in his voting against the plastic bags ban, even if it is for just now.
People need to get together with industry and look for real solutions, not just self-serving ones.
Mr. Handal may be contacted at sgrest@aol.com
