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Bob Layton editorial: Balloon poppers

Anthony Bradley, 12, center right, of Oroville, Calif., leaves a shelter with some balloons alongside his one-year-old niece Aunia Steele after a mandatory evacuation was lifted Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, in Chico, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

So, I buy something and the cashier asks me if I want to buy a plastic bag for a nickel.

Why are they charging a nickel?

If they are trying to discourage us from using plastic, why supply the bags at all? Why not just sell cloth bags or tell people to bring their own?

Would it be because at a nickel a bag, they’re making a profit — considering what they pay for them in bulk?

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No, I’m sure they are trying to save the environment. Just like the Vancouver Park Commission.

They are about to vote on whether to ban balloons in city parks.

They say balloons are non-renewable, they clog landfills, and pose a risk to sea creatures.

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Others point out that children die from balloons, either from swallowing an uninflated one or biting one and having a piece of it stick in their tiny throat.

I won’t be surprised if this green group does ban balloons.

I’m sure they won’t vote just to discourage balloons by charging a nickel each to bring them into the park.

Let me know what you think about banning plastic bags and balloons.

Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations and a commentator for Global News.

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