Bloomberg painted as bagman with proposed charge

A new proposal supported by the Bloomberg administration could mean millions in revenue for the city, but frustration for the common supermarket shopper. The proposal would charge shoppers 6 cents each

News 12 Staff

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Nov 8, 2008, 12:09 AM

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Updated 5,887 days ago

A new proposal supported by the Bloomberg administration could mean millions in revenue for the city, but frustration for the common supermarket shopper.

The proposal would charge shoppers 6 cents each for plastic bags. Five cents of that money would go to the city, while the remainder would find its way into the store owner?s pocket.

?We don?t want it, we don?t need it,? says local store manager Miguel Betances. ?We want to keep our customers happy.?Shoppers are just as aggravated.

?It?s bad enough you pay a lot for food, let alone paying 6 cents for a bag,? says local resident Melissa DeJesus. ?They?re trying to rob us.?

If the proposal is approved, the charge would raise more than $16 million for the city. Many residents believe customers will start using more reusable bags if the charge goes into effect.