Market Basket bucks Concord meddling

Shira Schoenberg reports in the Concord Monitor that Market Basket isn't going along with the city's attempt to micro-manage trash disposal:

By refusing to sell the purple pay-as-you-throw bags, Market Basket has inserted itself into the controversy over a new trash system that will require Concord residents to pay for each bag of trash they throw out, beginning July 6.

Market Basket's decision was made on the corporate level, not at local stores. David McLean, operations manager for Market Basket, said the company is reviewing its policy in Concord and in multiple other communities where pay-as-you-throw has been instituted. Market Basket has 59 stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

"All of a sudden, all these towns are taking on these programs and wanting businesses to subsidize the towns and do it for nothing, and have their customers foot the expense of carrying those products," McLean said.

Asking residents to pay for the service of throwing away their trash is a market-based solution. Collecting those fees by creating a trash bag cartel, and asking local retailers to subsidize your monopoly scheme, is not.