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Miami Commissioner Proposes Five-Cent Plastic Bag Fee To Fund Anti-Poverty Plan

Owen Byrne
/
Flickr Creative Commons

Miami city commissioners are trying to figure out a citywide anti-poverty plan and how they would fund the program.

Two months ago, at the urging of Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the city set aside $1.2 million into a poverty trust during its budget process. Hardemon represents the most impoverished district in the city which includes Overtown, Liberty City and Little Haiti.

On Friday morning, Hardemon, Commisioners Francis Suarez and Marc Sarnoff and about a dozen city staff members took part in a roundtable discussion about an anti-poverty strategy.

The commissioners agreed that the $1.2 million set aside by the city would not be enough to make a significant and long-lasting impact.

“To try to put out a fire with a glass of water is not going to be effective," Sarnoff said. "But to put out a fire with a fire hose is effective and this is where the private sector comes in.” 

Among the ideas considered on Friday was to create partnerships with local businesses and applying for grants through organizations like the Knight Foundation.

Hardemon had a more novel idea. He proposed the city impose a five-cent fee on customers who use plastic bags at local grocery stores.

The plastic bag fees he said would serve two purposes: to  secure a regular revenue stream for the poverty trust and encourage sustainable shopping practices. Residents who didn’t want to pay the nickel could opt out by bringing reusable grocery bags when they shop.

However, that plan would require a change in state law. In Florida, it is illegal to ban plastic bags or tax them in any way  per a 2008 law passed by the Legislature.

Hardemon said the law can be changed.

“We can fight,” he said. “That’ll be a battle we have to do on the state level.”

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