When I interned this past semester in Arlington, VA, I didn't notice a ridiculous policy implemented just across the river in the nation's capital:  There's a 5¢ fee for every plastic bag you use in DC.

Now the government of California has found a similar way to take money from an economy starving for innovation and freedom.  Instead of letting the market reward good behavior like some stores do by giving discounts for people using "green bags" which are far more sturdy and reusable, California has banned plastic bags -- a plan that won't help anybody.   Will someone please let these naive lawmakers know that prohibition doesn't work?

Oh wait...if my memory served me correctly, after government banned alcohol, everything was just fine:  nobody missed it and crime rates didn't change...