Assemblymember Fiona Ma
AB 1778 narrowly passes Assembly, would crack down
on professional poaching rings in California
From the Office of Assemblymember Fiona Ma
May 23, 2008
San Francisco – Today, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) highlighted the disturbing presence of professional recycling poaching rings in neighborhoods with curbside recycling services and called on the State Senate to pass her AB 1778, which cleared the Assembly floor by a vote 45-24 on Thursday.
In San Francisco and cities across the state, thieves rummage for bottles and cans in recycling bins late at night. These poachers, operating as organized fleets, wake residents, throw unwanted materials on the ground, and trespass on private property. Their theft also increases garbage rates and increases the risk of identity theft.
“Families should not be awakened in the middle of the night because someone is rummaging through their recycling,” said Assemblywoman Ma. “AB 1778 provides law enforcement with valuable record keeping information to investigate these crime rings. Tackling recycling theft will also help keep garbage rates low.”
Assembly Bill 1778, narrowly cleared the Assembly Floor with bipartisan support on Thursday. The bill requires recyclers to obtain identifying information of individuals who bring in large quantities ($50 or more) of CRV recyclables and newspapers. The bill will also require that payments of $50 or more be made by check.
Although AB 1778 was opposed by certain recycling companies that fought recordkeeping requirements, representatives from local recycler Norcal joined Assemblywoman Ma to support the bill. During the discussion on the floor, there was some confusion about the quantity of materials that would have to be recycled. The $50 threshold is equal to 34 pounds of aluminum—the equivalent of 1,000 cans.
“Make no mistake. Ordinary Californians will be able to continue recycling, and San Francisco leads the way,” concluded Assemblywoman Ma. “There’s simply no excuse for someone to bring in thousands of cans and no identification, and walk out with cash.”
AB 1778 is currently in the Senate where it will be heard in committee in June. If passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor, the law will go into effect on January, 1 2009
The Hunger Site
July 15, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Well at last, there’s finally a Law and Order liberal in the State Assembly! Your Democrat Party must hate you Assemblyperson Ma, after all, most of the people who are stealing our various cities’ recyclables from our bins at the curb are illegal aliens, DRIVING NEW TRUCKS! They’re not homeless in my neighborhood, that’s for certain!
I have wanted to see the recycling thieves caught and punished since the recycling program began. I hope you bill passes the Senate! It’s about time the California Assembly goes after lawbreakers instead of passing laws to punish law abiding citizens! Way to go Assemblyperson Ma!!!
Now how about some laws to send the illegal aliens back to where they came from, we have a water shortage you know!
June 19, 2008 at 9:49 am
If AB 1778 is such a great solution to recycling theft, why are supermarket sites exempt from the provisions of this bill? Was Assemblywoman Ma aware that more than 700 of these sites exist in California as part of the CRV program?
Sounds like this bill was drafted by Norcal Waste.
May 25, 2008 at 1:22 pm
GO FIONA!!! This is almost as COOL!!!! as your vote to let the Lennar Corporation, a South Florida-based criminal syndicate, recolonize Bayview Hunters Point, and your yes vote on AB32, to build $7.7 billion more prisons in the State of California. (Which would have been $8.2 billiion, with county matching funds.)
Ever stopped to consider anything besides your career?
–Annie Garrison, District #8, Supervisorial and Congressional
May 23, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Actually, I thought of a better solution. The City and Couny of SF should kick out the private recycling industry, municipalize their own collection agency and use the hefty profits for homeless support services like affordable housing, homeless drop-in centers, soup kitchens, social workers and welfare benefits for the “professional recycling poaching rings.”
May 23, 2008 at 11:49 am
This law is total bullshit. The nefarious “professional recycling poaching mafia/terrorists” are just mere homeless people trying to get by. Sure, they shouldn’t throw garbage on the streets while mining for trash gold, but stuffing the jails with more homeless people and setting up an expensive bureaucracy with the mission of charging them fines that they can’t pay isn’t the right answer. Repealing Care not Cash might be part of the solution. Anyway, I have the suspision that the recycling industry, which makes shitloads of money, has lobbied Yo’ Mama to do this.