Thank you to the West Seattle Herald for hosting a lively exchange of opinions on the proposal to tax plastic grocery bags.

As the debate continues, I find it quite heartening to hear from so many people who suddenly care so much for the less fortunate among us.

But I do wish this new sense of compassion extended farther than self-justification about plastic bag use. I presume that the concern about how an easily-avoidable 20-cent fee might affect poor people has made all these newly compassionate bag lovers think anew about inequities in income distribution and fret about the decline in living-wage union jobs. I assume it's spurred tens of thousands of Seattleites into action on these and other social justice issues. Or was it just about the bags?

I also want to applaud the Herald for giving space to a representative of the plastics industry itself to speak out so clearly and directly about their key interest - more plastic bags. Now there's a group we need to hear more from in all political debates.

Before we pass any laws, we should always be sure to ask: "what will the plastics industry think?" Ban toxic toys? But consider how that will hurt plastic makers' bottom line. Strengthen workplace safety rules? But consider what that will cost the owners of plastic factories. Print suffocation warnings on plastic film products? But consider how that makes plastic seem so much less fun.

In any event, I encourage anyone who's interested in learning more about the bag fee and where the plastic bag industry stands to visit a website with the real truth: "Plastic Bag Makers for More Plastic Bags" at theplasticman.wordpress.com.

Sage Wilson

West Seattle