New January 1st. WA State Laws: Light Bulb Price Jumps, License Plates, Food Scrap Police

Newstalk 870 already told you about CFL bulbs going up $.25 per bulb starting New Year's Day.   But there's some other laws going into effect - some good, some bad, and some paranoid.

CFL, or compact fluorescent bulbs, went up with the cost going to fund a recycling program that's supposed to offset the toxic effect of these mercury-laden bulbs ending up in landfills.    The enviros didn't consider that 4-5 years ago when these were supposed to be the answer to all our energy lighting issues.   A four-pack will now cost you $1.00 more...regardless of where you buy them.

On the GOOD side,  now in our state, you don't have to replace your license plate every seven years.  Now, it can hang on your car as long as you own it. If you buy a new car, you can now transfer that plate to your new car for $10, saving you about $14.  Nice!

The minimum wage goes up again, by $.15 cents,  making it the highest in the U.S. by $.22 cents - we now pay entry-level no experience workers $9.37 per hour.    You've heard the effort is still out there to attempt to raise it to $15.00 per hour.   We shall see.

And finally, the bizarre and paranoid.  This is NOT a joke.   The City of Seattle will start issuing recycling citations if they find food scraps in your garbage.   IF more than 10% of the food seen in a dumpster could have been recycled, then you will actually receive a $1.00 citation!     And the city will fine you $1.00 per violation - so if it happens over and over,  here's a dollar - there's a dollar.    The city actually has "food police" who will be enforcing this.  Actually, sanitation workers will be peeking in your garbage before it gets dumped.

Wonder what their reaction would be if I lived in Seattle, and they came to pick up the trash after I'd picked up the "presents" left in the yard by our dogs over the last 2-3 weeks?

How will they determine what foods could have been recycled?    Will that include holiday fruitcake?    hmmm.   Glad I don't live in Seattle!