Evidently the mayor and city council have ignored the constituency and voted to ban shopping bags. I understand them ignoring their constituency; they are elitist.

What I don’t understand is them ignoring the data. There is substantial data from many sources (Chicago Trib, Huff-Po, just look) that shows how reusable bags cause food-borne illnesses to spike. It not even arguable. Google search “banning bags food illness” for yourself.

Here’s how it works. I buy some fresh meats (poultry) and put it in my reusable bag. I take it home. It gets rolled up and goes back to my backpack or trunk where the e-coli grows. I buy some fresh fruit a couple of days later, and even though I’ve washed the fruit, I’m now ill. San Francisco reported a 46-percent increase in deaths after implementing a similar law.

Luckily, I live on the Bellevue border. I’ll divert my shopping southward. Good work improving our city.

Don Kaufman, Kirkland