​Common Sense is an Uncommon Virtue

A Message From Our CEO Nancy Lindholm
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If your "to-do" list is anything like mine, it seems as though there are always critical things rising to top priority status. Life is dictated by time management and "keeping all the balls in the air."

I guess this is why I have to scratch my head when I read about senseless legislation being introduced in our state capitol. Don't our legislators have any common sense? Don't they have important matters to attend to?

I'm referring to AB 161 authored by Assembly member Phil Ting of San Francisco. If the bill survives, it would prohibit large businesses (those with gross annual sales of $1 million or more) from issuing paper receipts to customers, unless the customer requests one. AB 161 requires businesses to provide electronic receipts as the default method.

So, if a business is going to give me a receipt, they need to have my email address or phone number. That also means that I am going to start getting solicitations via email or text messages. I DON'T WANT THAT!

What will all those retailers be doing with all that information? It seems like every day we hear about another data breach. I don't want to be part of that, either!

If there is a problem with receipts from retailers, perhaps the government should offer some incentives to develop an environmentally-friendly type of receipt paper.

Speaking of recycling, the last count I heard on the number of bills introduced in Sacramento this year was 2,576. Assuming those bills will be amended numerous times as they make their way through the legislative process, I can't possibly calculate how many pieces of paper that must add up to.

​Perhaps we should limit the number of bills each legislator can introduce each year instead of worrying about me getting a receipt with my Starbucks order.

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