Lacey council rejects private money for plastic bag ban vote

At it’s Thursday night work seesion the Lacey City Council rejected an effort by a private group to put the issue of a plastic bag ban before the voters in November.

The issue rose its head, when Councilmember Michael Steadman said he would put the issue up to a vote of the people if someone else would fund it.    Lacey City Attorney David Schneider said it would be legal for the city to accept the money.

At Thursday Lacey council work session, Steadman voted not to accept the money along with Jeff Gadman, Cynthia Pratt and Andy Ryder.

The city accepts money from private individuals all of the time.  Private donations help to defray costs of the city’s summer hot lunch program and private donations help fund some animal control services.

In my opinion, accepting money for a political purpose – – rejecting the city’s plastic bag ban – – sets a bad precedence.  What’s to stop some other group from  raising money to set a $15 minimum wage in Lacey or another group to want a ban on the sale of firearms.

The council was right to reject the money for political purposes.  But, it needs to set a policy regarding what money it will accept and what it will not.

And Steadman needs to be more cautious in what he says.   He’s not a private citizen anymore – – he’s an elected official.