This follows up on a Feb. 5 entry. It was comment on a Canton proposal to cut down on shopping cart thefts by punishing the victims, namely stores in the city.
The proposal by Councilmen Jason Scaglione and Robert Fisher has been revised through the intervention of Mayor Tom Bernabei. It is likely to be made into law next week.
Unlike the original proposal, which would have required all sorts of expensive steps to discourage or prevent shopping cart theft, the new proposal only requires these steps if the city determines that the store is not cooperating in helping to rid the neighborhoods of its abandoned carts.
The revised ordinance also recognizes that the taking of a shopping cart off store property is theft. The original did not.
Councilmen Scaglione and Fisher ought to be recognized for trying to eliminate a nuisance and a safety hazard from their wards. Without mentioning names, Scaglione said on Monday that they have seen an increase in voluntary cooperation from stores.
The entire reason for criticism of the original proposal was its business-unfriendly solution: punish the victims. At the same time, members of City Council were bemoaning the Fishers Foods decision to close two city grocery stores. The closing was unrelated to the cart proposal, but council is not strong when it comes to thinking about the business ramifications of what it says and does.
Businesses don’t vote. They just employ voters and taxpayers.
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