They’re coming for new bags after old bag-ban failed

• May 31, 2024

SACRAMENTO – You know those scenes from old Western movies (or Bugs Bunny) where an outlaw fires his gun near someone’s feet. The goal isn’t to harm the target, but to make him dance to miss the bullets in an effort to frighten, humiliate or exert dominance. Think about those scenes as you consider a set of new pointless plastic-bag-related laws that seem destined just to make Californians “dance.”

Remember all the hoopla in 2014 when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a “groundbreaking” law that would dramatically reduce solid waste by forbidding grocery stores from providing “single-use” plastic bags? It’s been a decade since that law turned the grocery-checkout process into a grinding routine as clerks ask consumers how many bags they want to buy and cheapskate shoppers drag out bacteria-laden reusable cotton ones.

That law’s backroom negotiations offer hilarious lessons in legislative sausage-making, as unions, stores and environmentalists jockeyed for special privileges. A key compromise allowed stores to sell thicker “reusable” plastic bags, which seemed bizarre to me. The “single-use” bags actually had multiple uses. They were so thin I’d keep them to pick up dog poo and line bathroom trash cans.

By contrast, the “reusable” bags are so space-consuming that I always just pitch them in the trash. The Mercury News’ Paul Rogers reportedrecently that this “loophole (was) inserted by some Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento who had plastic bag factories in their districts.” I didn’t remember that detail, but it seemed obvious that replacing thin bags with thick plastic or paper ones might not actually work out as planned.

Sure enough, the ban was a bust. Aside from adding a buck to the typical grocery bill, the plastic ban has failed to cut down on solid waste. In fact, it led to a massive increase in landfill-destined plastics. “Last year, Californians threw away more plastic bags, by weight, than when the law first passed,” according to a recent New York Times article, which called it “an environmental rule that backfired and inadvertently made the matter worse.”

Apparently, the California Legislature is unaware of the term, “unintended consequences.” But that’s not going to stop it from trying again. Two bills are now making their way through the Capitol. Senate Bill 1053 and Assembly Bill 2236 would also ban the thicker plastic bags that replaced the thinner previously-banned bags. It seems as if lawmakers want us to reuse those dirty old bags stashed in the trunk or under the seat.

But even that isn’t entirely clear. As Rogers explained, Gov. Gavin Newsom “banned people from bringing their own cloth bags to stores in 2020 when the COVID pandemic first began, over fears that the virus could be transmitted by the bags.” That turned out to be bunk – like everything else related to these bag-related predictions. But Californians did the dance and began using plastic bags again after that edict, as the administration required.

If a new law passes, the likely result is people like me – e.g., people who don’t want to live like vagabonds and will not drag gross old bags into the store – will have no choice but to buy thick, heavy, resource-depleting paper bags. The new bills up the recyclable content requirement and require stores to charge at least 10 cents each, but leave paper as the main option. Remember that in the olden days we all used paper bags. They were replaced, in part, by the thin now-banned bags because the plastic ones were more environmentally friendly and more likely to be reused. I have no use for heavy paper bags so I’ll just throw mine into the landfill.

Related Articles

“Manufacturing a paper bag takes about four times as much energy as it takes to produce a plastic bag, plus the chemicals and fertilizers … create additional harm to the environment,” explains National Geographic. “(F)or a paper bag to neutralize its environmental impact compared to plastic, it would have to be used anywhere from three to 43 times.” Given that paper bags aren’t very durable, “it is unlikely that a person would get enough use out of any one bag to even out the environmental impact.”

A decade from now a new set of lawmakers surely will propose a ban on paper bags after they start clogging up the landfills. Despite their grandiose rhetoric about saving the Earth, these lawmakers are smart enough to know such efforts aren’t going to measurably improve the environment or reverse climate change. At this point, it’s a safe guess the new ban will actually make matters worse.

My cynical take is environmentalist lawmakers try to make our everyday lives as annoying as possible by banning items that we rely upon (bags, natural-gas appliances, gas-powered yard equipment, internal-combustion-engine cars) as penance for our society’s affluent consumer lifestyle. It’s just for show, but they have the political power so there’s nothing we can do but dance.

Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute and a member of the Southern California News Group editorial board. Write to him at [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Foothill High Graduation 2024: Our best photos of the ceremony

• May 31, 2024

Tustin Unified School District’s FoothillHigh handed diplomas to the members of its graduating Class of 2024 on Thursday, May 30.

A commencement ceremony at the campus stadium drew families and friends who cheered as the graduates walked across the stage, marking the end of their high school careers and the beginning of their bright futures.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Mission Viejo High Graduation 2024: Our best photos of the ceremony

• May 31, 2024

Saddleback Valley Unified School District’s Katella High handed diplomas to the members of its graduating Class of 2024 on Thursday, May 30.

A commencement ceremony at the campus stadium drew families and friends who cheered as the graduates walked across the stage, marking the end of their high school careers and the beginning of their bright futures.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

OC Fair to host job fair, looking to fill more than 750 positions

• May 31, 2024

The OC Fair & Event Center is looking to hire more than 750 people for this summer’s OC Fair. Most open positions are seasonal and part-time, although some year-round jobs are available.

Festival organizers are hosting a hiring event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 8 outside the center’s administration building at 88 Fair Drive, in Costa Mesa. Applications are required and must be submitted before the event, and on-site interviews will take place. Resumes will be accepted, but are not required.

Jobs, available to people ages 16 and older, are for manning building exhibits, working as a ticket taker, being a customer service representative and more. Parking, security and janitorial departments are also looking for workers. Some start dates are closer to the 2024 OC Fair opening in July.

Some job perks include free admission to the fair and the option to purchase discounted tickets for friends and family.

The 2024 OC Fair runs July 19 through Aug. 18; this year’s theme is “Always A Good Time.” Tickets are on sale now for the fair and accompanying concerts at the Pacific Amphitheater and The Hangar. The fair will again limit daily attendance and require that tickets be purchased online in advance. The Every Day Passport will provide admission any day of the fair with no restrictions.

To view open positions and apply, visit ocfair.com/jobs. For more information, contact the center’s human resources department at 714-708-1563, weekdays, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Donald Trump tries to turn his guilty verdict into campaign fuel and attacks criminal justice system

• May 31, 2024

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and JILL COLVIN (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump launched into attacks on the judge in his criminal trial and continued to undermine New York’s criminal justice system Friday as he tried to repackage his conviction on 34 felony charges as fuel, not an impediment, to his latest White House bid.

Trump spoke to reporters at his namesake tower in Manhattan on Friday, his return to campaigning a day after he was convicted of trying to illegally influence the 2016 election by falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to a porn actor who claimed they had sex. His lawyers and allies described him as defiant and ready to fight a verdict they argue is illegitimate and driven by politics.

“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said. “These are very bad people.”

No former president or presumptive party nominee has ever faced a felony conviction or the prospect of prison time, and Trump is expected to keep his legal troubles central to his campaign. He has long argued without evidence that the four indictments against him were orchestrated by Democratic President Joe Biden to try to keep him out of the White House.

“There is nobody who is more defiant,” said Trump spokesman Jason Miller on Fox News hours after the verdict was read. “He’s ready to get out there and start fighting again.”

He chose to start Friday in the atrium of Trump Tower, the brass and rose marble lobby where he descended his golden escalator to announce his 2016 campaign nine years ago next month. Outside, on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, supporters gathered across the street were flying a giant red “TRUMP OR DEATH” sign that was flapping in front of a high-end boutique.

On Friday morning, his campaign announced it had raised $34.8 million as donations poured in after the verdict. That’s more than $1 million for each felony charge and more than his political operation raised in January and February combined.

Trump and his campaign had been preparing for a guilty verdict for days, even as they held out hope for a hung jury. On Tuesday, Trump railed that not even Mother Teresa, the nun and saint, could beat the charges, which he repeatedly labeled as “rigged.”

His top aides on Wednesday released a memo in which they insisted a verdict would have no impact on the election, whether Trump was convicted or acquitted.

The news nonetheless landed with a jolt. Trump, his team and reporters at the courthouse had been under the impression that the jury on Thursday would wrap up deliberations for the day at 4:30 p.m. Trump sat smiling and chatting with his lawyers as the proceedings seemed to be coming to a close.

Trump had spent the hours before the verdict was announced sequestered in the private courtroom where he had spent breaks throughout the trial, huddled with his attorneys and campaign aides, eating from a revolving lunch menu of McDonald’s, pizza, and subs.

As the jury was deciding his fate, he filled his time making calls, firing off social media missives and chatting with friends, including developer Steve Witkoff, who joined him in court, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is considered a top vice presidential contender.

In a sign that they expected deliberations to continue, Trump’s holding room was outfitted with a television Thursday, according to two people familiar with the setup who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

Instead, Merchan announced that a verdict had been reached. Thirty minutes later, Trump listened as the jury delivered a guilty verdict on every count. Trump sat stone-faced while the verdict was read.

Related Articles

His campaign fired off a flurry of fundraising appeals, and GOP allies rallied to his side. One text message called him a “political prisoner,” even though he hasn’t yet found out if he will be sentenced to prison. The campaign also began selling black “Make America Great Again” caps to reflect a “dark day in history.”

Aides reported an immediate rush of contributions so intense that WinRed, the platform the campaign uses for fundraising, crashed. The $34.8 million raised Thursday did not include what Trump collected at his in-person fundraiser or any donations that continued to come in online Friday.

“President Trump and our campaign are immensely grateful from this outpouring of support from patriots across our country,” Trump’s senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement. “President Trump is fighting to save our nation and November 5th is the day Americans will deliver the real verdict.”

Trump has long complained that the trial limited his campaign appearances for several weeks. “I want to campaign,” he had told reporters Thursday morning before a verdict was reached.

It is unclear, however, how much Trump’s schedule will ramp up in the days ahead. He held only a handful of public campaign events as the trial unfolded, despite the fact that he had Wednesdays, as well as evenings and weekends, to do what he wished.

He’s set in the upcoming two months to have his first debate with Biden, announce a running mate and formally accept his party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention.

But before he goes to Milwaukee for the RNC, Trump will have to return to court on July 11 for sentencing. He could face penalties ranging from a fine or probation up to four years in prison.

​ Orange County Register 

Petitions in Huntington Beach want to ask voters to overturn changes at city libraries

• May 31, 2024

Dual petitions in Huntington Beach seek to overturn some of the controversial new policies and proposals made by the City Council for the city’s public libraries in the last year.

The first, which is gathering signatures now, wants to remove a review board the council is creating that will have the power to reject new children’s books from being added to the library’s collection and move books already in circulation to a restricted section.

The second petition supports creating a law to prevent the city’s libraries from being owned by a private company or having its operations privatized without a majority approval from the City Council and voters.

The proponents hope to turn to voters with their concerns over recent changes to the library system and have them weigh in during a future election.

“We think the voters should have an opportunity to speak out,” said Cathey Ryder, a proponent behind the petition to overturn the review board ordinance.

The city passed the ordinance in March to create the review board and also requested staff to take bids to allow an outside company to run Huntington Beach’s library branches as a potential cost-saving measure.

Signatures are already being gathered to qualify the initiative overturning the review board. Its organizers will have until Oct. 28 to get signatures from 10% of registered voters. The second ballot initiative that would make it harder to privatize the library is expected to start gathering signatures in June.

Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark has been the driving force on the council for the review board. Privatizing the library’s operations came from the Interim City Manager Eric Parra, who then got approval from the council’s four conservative members. Currently, the city is moving to take proposals for an outside operator and officials haven’t said they would support the change in the end.

The review board has also yet to form. Van Der Mark said the city is a few months away from forming the board.

In May, the council rejected a proposal from its three left-leaning members to ask voters if they wish to outsource library operations, which prompted the continued pursuit of the ballot initiative.

“Up until now, the hundreds of Huntington Beach residents, like myself, who actively support our public library felt we didn’t have a voice regarding the changes the council majority wants to make with book restrictions and privatization,” said Carol Daus, a member of the nonprofit Friends of the Huntington Beach Library. “We spoke up at council meetings, sent emails to councilmembers, and held protests, but it didn’t make a difference. The petitions allow us to fight their measures using a democratic process.”

Daus argued the library community didn’t ask for the city to pursue these changes.

For more than a month, residents opposed to the library changes have held weekly silent protests walking down Main Street in Downtown Huntington Beach. Up to several hundred people hold up signs and hand out leaflets.

“People are feeling empowered to get involved,” Ryder said. “Civic engagement is beyond just voting, it’s holding elected officials accountable. This is what we are trying to do.”

Van Der Mark said she respects the right of residents to circulate the petitions, but emphasized that the city hasn’t issued the request for proposals on outsourcing the library’s management.

“It doesn’t make sense to me, but if this is what they feel they should do then it’s their right to circulate the petition,” Van Der Mark said.

Poll says strong support for libraries

An April poll made public in May said its results indicate 67% of likely voters in Huntington Beach oppose privatizing the library’s management. After giving poll respondents arguments for and against privatization, that number jumped to 74%.

The poll said residents responding had a strong favorable view of the city’s library and a net unfavorable view of the City Council.

Labor unions that would be affected by privatization paid for the poll, including the Orange County Employees Association. The poll surveyed 400 residents and its margin of error was 4.9%.

Tim Steed, assistant general manager of the OCEA, which represents the library’s managers, said during a call discussing the poll that the union hasn’t had much discussion with the city yet on privatization.

“Usually privatization leads to the elimination of those positions as they exist currently,” Steed said.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

5 strategies to support a loved one’s health and fitness efforts

• May 31, 2024

Summer is a popular time of year to commit to a healthier lifestyle, including improved nutrition and regular exercise. Not only is there a wide variety of fresh produce in season, but longer and warmer days boost motivation to get outdoors and be active. Maybe you know someone who is embarking on a new health or fitness journey.

Unfortunately, there are many barriers to starting and maintaining healthier habits. Having the support of close relationships can make a big difference in one’s success. Even if you already consider yourself a supportive person, there may be more you can do to effectively support your loved decision to make a lifestyle change.

When a friend, partner, colleague or family member confides that they are ready to take positive steps to be healthier, it’s natural to be eager to help. You may even want to offer well-intentioned advice about what to eat, where to work out and the latest fitness gadget to purchase. Research shows that those with strong support systems are more likely to be successful with sticking to their healthy lifestyle.

However, it’s important to remember that each person’s wellness journey is different and health and nutrition needs vary individually. While your friend or loved one may benefit from your encouragement, they most likely are not looking for someone to critique their food choices or expect them to make 180-degree changes overnight.

Here are some of the best strategies to be a positive and effective support person on your loved one’s path to better health. Plus, by helping them, you may even improve your own health.

Ask What You Can Do to Help

While you may be inclined to share all of your healthiest recipes, they may be more interested in you joining them at the gym or coming along to a medical appointment. Have a conversation about how they see you supporting them on this journey.

Don’t Project Your Own Goals

Ask your friend on their health journey how they want to define their health and fitness goals. While some folks may be focused on weight loss, others may prioritize building muscle and boosting energy. Keep in mind that their success may be measured differently than your own.

Provide Positive Feedback that is Not Centered on Weight or Appearance

Well-intentioned compliments that bring attention to body size or weight may be misconstrued, unhelpful and in some cases may even cause harm. Instead praise behaviors such as dedication, hard work, consistency and new skills.

Preach Progress, Not Perfection

One way to be supportive is to be a cheerleader through the ups and downs. Help them celebrate the wins, even the small ones. Setbacks are to be expected, but lasting change happens for those who keep on going. You can gently remind them of their goals and how far they’ve already come.

Be Open to Change

If someone in your household is changing their eating habits, it may require you to also adapt your own food choices. We tend to eat like the people with whom we eat. Therefore, your support may require flexibility toward new recipes and ingredients, updated eating schedules and even an overhaul of the pantry. You may need to rethink the way you socialize, swapping out lunch dates for an afternoon walk or opting for fruit instead of ice cream for evening snacks.

LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at [email protected].

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

How does a conservation authority with stop-sign cameras have access to DMV records?

• May 31, 2024

Q. Hi Honk: I read an article about people getting citations for rolling through stop signs at several parks overseen by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a local agency dedicated to protecting public open space. The stop signs are monitored by video cameras and a photo of the offending license plate is included with the citation. Because it isn’t a law enforcement agency, how can it obtain the name and the mailing address associated with the license plate?

– Sylvia Watkins, Hawthorne

A.  Some agencies without cops have agreements with the Department of Motor Vehicles and can access its records.

Think tollways.

But the authority is a different scenario.

“We are a law-enforcement agency, our rangers are sworn California peace officers,” said Dash Stolarz, a spokesperson for the authority. “Every citation is reviewed by them.”

An officer, in other words, views the recording before declaring that a violation occurred and a citation is issued.

The agency has seven intersections with the cameras, a setup put in place in 2007. The citations do not go onto Department of Motor Vehicles records but, if not paid, do go to a collection agency.

The conservation authority manages more than 75,000 acres it or the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy owns. Among its duties is helping revitalize the L.A. River and managing two areas it runs through, in the Elysian Valley and in the Sepulveda Basin. In some areas, people kayak, canoe, fish and gaze at birds.

Related Articles

Q. I am a fan of the 405 Express Lanes, but I am confused a bit with how the tolls are displayed on their electronic signs. I usually enter the northbound 405 Express Lanes where they start, near South Coast Plaza. There are usually three tolls indicated on the signs, the last being for exiting at the 605 Freeway where the Express Lanes end. However, typically shown is a toll for the “To I-405.” Since I am on the 405 Freeway, albeit in the Express Lanes, I am not clear how there is a toll for exiting onto the 405 Freeway. What am I missing?

– Mike Wick, Lake Forest

A. Whatever you were missing, so was Honk.

During a recent jaunt in the Honkmobile, the wise, old sage was scratching his noggin as well after seeing the signs.

Megan Abba, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Transportation Authority, which runs those express lanes, said the agency appreciates drivers bringing up any concerns of the 6-month-old system.

A couple of weeks ago, a Honk reader raise the issue about another confusing entry on the electronic signs that show the costs for the various legs.

In regard to Mike’s (and Honk’s) confusion, driving north the signs mention where drivers can slide from the express lanes onto the freeway, “including where the express lanes end at either the 605 Freeway or the 405 Freeway at the Los Angeles County line,” Abba explained in an email.

“The sign in question shows the toll rate for drivers going to the farthest northern point of the express lanes on the 405, where they end at the L.A. County line,” she said. “This is where the two express lanes go back to traditional carpool lanes and one peels off to the 605 with the other continuing on the northbound 405.”

So the sign lists the cost to go to each of those endpoints, as in “To I-605” and “To I-405.”

“This is another area we will review and see if there are any adjustments needed to make the electronic signs clearer for drivers,” Abba said.

Honk predicts how that one endpoint is labeled will change, Mike, perhaps helped by your nudge.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at [email protected]. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk

​ Orange County Register