City of Calabasas Single-Use Plastic Carryout Bag Ban Starts July 1, 2011

CITY OF CALABASAS SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CARRYOUT BAG BAN

BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS OR PURCHASE PAPER BAGS AT CALABASAS GROCERS BEGINNING JULY 1, 2011

From the City of Calabasas website at www.cityofcalabasas.com/plastic-bag-ban.html

Calabasas has joined the growing ranks of municipalities encouraging residents to bring reusable bags when shopping. On February 9, 2011, the Calabasas City Council passed Ordinance No. 2011-282 to ban the use single-use carryout plastic bags that pollute our environment and constitute a high percentage of litter across the country.

As of July 1, 2011, shoppers will no longer receive disposable plastic bags while shopping at Calabasas supermarkets: Albertsons, Gelson’s, Maddy’s Market, and Ralphs and Rite Aid.

As of January 1, 2012, smaller drug stores, convenience food stores, smaller retail stores and grocers will stop offering disposable plastic bags.

Under the terms of the new law, stores will have reusable bags available for sale and will also offer recyclable paper bags for 10 cents each in lieu of customers bringing their reusable bags or simply carrying items purchased without a bag. The fees collected from bag sales will only go towards helping stores comply with the new law.

Lower income residents who participate in the California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children program will receive either reusable bags or recyclable paper bags for free.

Shoppers are encouraged to use reusable shopping bags whenever possible. Please note that small plastic bags will still be available in stores for fruits and vegetables. Produce bags and product bags are bags without handles used exclusively to carry produce, meats, or other food items to the point of sale or to prevent such food items from coming into direct contact with other purchased items.

More information and details on the benefits of using re-usable bags at www.cityofcalabasas.com/plastic-bag-ban.html.

California Sales Tax Rates Set to Drop by 1% on July 1, 2011

Unless our State Legislature votes to extend the 1% sales and use tax rate increase that was put into place in April 2009, we will be receiving a 1% tax rate deduction effective July 1, 2011.  It is now June 28th and it appears we are in the clear. So sales tax rates in most of Ventura County will drop from 8.25% to 7.25% (8.75% to 7.75% in Oxnard and Port Hueneme).

8.25% is currently the highest base sales tax rate in the United States. Congrats, California! And when the rate it drops back down to 7.25%, it will still be the highest! Yippee!

Hmm, if you're looking to buy something big, like a car, this month, you might want to wait until July. A 1% sales tax drop on a $40,000 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is $400.

The highest sales tax rates in the state will continue to be in Pico Rivera and South Gate, where rates drop down to 9.75% on July 1st. No wonder I never go shopping in those cities!

For updates, visit the California Board of Equalization website at www.boe.ca.gov.

And for you history buffs, here is a history of sales and use tax rates in our wonderful state going back to when they were enacted on August 1, 1933. The trend is generally not our friend.

• 8/1/33:  2.5%
• 7/1/35:  3%
• 7/1/43:  2.5%
• 7/1/49:  3%
• 1/1/62:  4%
• 8/1/67:  5%
• 7/1/73:  6%
• 10/1/73:  5%
• 4/1/74:  6%
• 12/1/89:  6.25%
• 1/1/91:  6%
• 7/15/91:  7.25%
• 1/1/01:  7%
• 1/1/02:  7.25%
• 4/1/09:  8.25%
• 7/1/11:  7.25%

Dramatic Picture of Sailboat Washed Ashore Point Dume Last December

Late last year around Christmas time, we posted some pictures of a sailboat that washed ashore at Point Dume in Malibu. The owner of the boat was not hurt and it was reported that the Zeus would be salvaged.

In February we stopped by the boat and pretty much everything previously attached to the boat was pilfered.

Well the other day, photographer Craig Barry took this dramatic shot of the Zeus surrounded by the tide coming in. Yes, the Zeus is still there! Notice the lovely grafitti on the boat. Sheesh, why can't people just leave things alone. In any case, this is a great shot.