San Jose's recent ordinance tackling stolen and abandoned shopping carts introduces a controversial revenue model impacting local grocers. While locking mechanisms and deposit systems are welcome practices, the city's plan to charge grocers for recovering stolen carts raises ethical concerns. This is further compounded by state bill SB 753, which could essentially monetize stolen property recovery for local governments. Such measures threaten the affordability of groceries and defy principles of justice and victim rights, complicating the relationship between local officials and business owners in the community.
The ordinance from San Jose requiring locking wheels or deposits on carts represents best practices; however, the retrieval program infringes on grocers' operations and finances.
Allowing local governments to charge grocers for retrieval of stolen carts is akin to making victims of theft pay to recover their property, defying basic principles of justice.
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