Lucybell33

Getting back on topic, I'd concur that $130k isn't going to be anything like enough. IMHO you need a minimum of $200k, preferably more like $250k to have a comfortable lifestyle in the bay area. We love it here, but having held out for almost two years, I've finally given in and got myself a job, as hubby's salary of $173k is just not enough to have the standard of living we're looking for (we have two children, and they are in private school to get the standard of education we were looking for too).

themadpooper

That's a very arrogant attitude you have and one that smacks of privilege. As someone who grew up on a council estate in the UK and only got his first passport in his 20s, I know how crap it is to be poor in a civilized society. I also know 10 cents or 10 pence for a career bag to my parents would've been massive

The US is supposed to be unique in that personal choice is cherished and government is not generally viewed as the answer to everyone's problems, begs the question why people with an attitude such as yours move here in the first place. You sound like you'd be better off in Europe where government is the main employer and things like sugar taxes and minimum prices on alcohol are seen as a quick fix to complicated social problems

Matt Sabre

I grew up poor too. At 17 I was digging holes for a living and it wasn't much money. I've had many shit jobs and haven't really been comfortable until the last few years and that's through my own efforts, nobody else's.

Personal choice is fine but when that choice results in significant harms to the environment and other people then it's unacceptable. I bet you wouldn't support lead in petrol again or unregulated industry that pollutes at will. Would you lift all taxes on fags and restrictions on how they are marketed since that is also an assault on personal choice? Government is needed in many instances where the behaviour of the people is detrimental to society. Phasing out plastic bags isn't exactly the rise of the Fourth Reich and throwing out rhetoric about the land of the free is silly and misplaced.

You don't pay 10c for bags over and over unless you are thick. You learn to bring your own. Why is that so hard?

Also, I came here for many reasons but I was never foolish enough to think that it was perfect here. There are many things that we can do better here and I think cutting our polluting ways and doing more to make the world a cleaner, nicer place is something worth doing.