Dear Editor,

I'm appalled that the West Seattle Herald has sunk to biased reporting.  The Herald's stance on the bag tax is made very clear by the front page story "Fee on shopping bags up for vote" (July 29, 2009) in which a caption reads "Seattle residents could be forced to pay..."
 
FORCED?  Is this non-partisan? The article reads like a puff piece for the petro-chemical industry who will lose money if this goes into effect.

The environment, the citizens marine life and the city all stand to gain from passing this referendum.  The only losers would be Exxon, Mobile, Monsanto, etc. and people too lazy to pick up and reuse a free canvas bag.

Seems like a perfect opportunity for the Herald to run an editorial describing the advantages of the "bag tax," but instead space is given to propaganda spewed by The American Chemistry Council with not a word from the Seattle Green Bag Campaign.  

I hope West Seattleites are no so easily duped as to vote against this eminently sensible, cost-effective and necessary referendum.

Nancy Pennington
West Seattle