I suppose it’s comforting to know that the U.S. isn’t quite as infected with the toxins of The Great Stupid as Great Britain or Canada. Yet.
The Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza on Old Mill Dr. surprised diners recently with this at the bottom of the bill:
A 2% “carbon fee” ! For what, exactly? The bill explains:
Oh. Canada’s restaurant czars told reporters that the fee was legal since it wasn’t called a tax and that because the establishment’s website informs consumers that this is what they are in for, diners have to pay it. My reaction would be “Bite me!” If you are so fearful of the climate effects of eating, then don’t run a restaurant.The website explains in more detail, “what we eat fuels climate change. Goodfellas uses certified D.O.P products from Italy to remain true to the brand, and it’s not always possible to buy local. Adding 2% to every restaurant bill to invest in carbon capture will help offset our carbon footprint.”
The Toronto Sun’s article about this overt nickel-and-diming, virtue-signaling exercise says that the diners they interviewed said that the charge didn’t upset them. Canada, Land of Woke Weenies. The charge is unethical, obnoxious, and dumb. Anyone with any self-respect who hasn’t been indoctrinated and beaten into loving Greta Thunberg like Winston Smith loved Big Brother would refuse to pay the charge and dare the restaurant to have them arrested. Or say,”Fine: I’ll reduce my tip by three dollars.” Better yet, eliminate the tip entirely because the place had the gall to attempt this scam.
I don’t know how Canadians got this way, but it reminds me of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I think we need to start paying more attention to our northern border to keep these pod people out.
Ethics Alarms 
I don’t think this is a particularly Canadian phenomenon so much as it’s an unhinged progressive one, and I’d bet you a month’s salary and an Alpaca that I could find something equal to, if not more egregious, during an afternoon pub crawl in Portland.
But it is interesting… Absent the overt and blinding virtue-signaling, This is very similar to how transport companies charge a fuel surcharge fee on basically everything. Or how there’s about a dozen fees on your Hotel bill, depending on where you’re staying. Is the line between an ethical fee and an unethical fee the grandstanding, or is there no such thing as an ethical fee of these types?
Not to mention fees on your telephone bills.
I’d say the line for ethical fees might be whether there is actually some connection, some nexus, between the fee and the actual goods or services your purchasing.
Ah, hotel fees…
Charge ‘em for the mice, extra for the lice, two percent for looking in the mirror twice…
Oh, you’re right: I could easily see this in Portland, Seattle or LA—but they are outliers of our culture. I just don’t believe the typical American would tolerate this. Harris Teeter just started charging a minimum of 75cents for cash back, which is insane. It doesn’t cost the store anything, and its part of a transaction where they get a sale. And the service is simple courtesy and convenience. I asked for 20 bucks back, and the clerk pointed to the new sign about the fee. I said: “No way I’m paying that, or will ever pay that.” The sign said “Thanks for your understanding.” I said, “I understand fine: its a gratuitous way to make money without doing anything. Screw that. ” And the lady behind me said, “He’s right: I was going to ask for a 20 back, but I won’t, and I may even stop coming here.” And the THIRD customer in line said—“I agree.” It was glorious!
There is nothing stopping the Canadian business from donating 2% of their profits to “offset” carbon. They’d even be free to raise their prices to offset the loss of profit.
The company is unethically benefiting from advertising lower menu prices to encourage people to order more, then socking them with an unexpected fee at the end. Hotels that charge non-optional amenity fees on top of their advertized nightly rate are just as unethical.
I don’t have enough info about the trucking fees to judge if they are in the same category or not.
I mean…. 2% on a $40 item is $0.80, I don’t think anyone is going to be enticed to order a whole lot more or less on a 2% margin, but your mileage may vary.
I think this is signal-advertising, where they’re hoping that they’ll attract a clientele that values the cause enough to actually make them a destination for it. Because you’re right, they could just donate the money and not tell anyone… But telling people is the point. Absent the signal, I think the best comparable would be a mandatory gratuity fee, which are starting to become depressingly common, and an obviously a shitty practice.
Which is why I thought it was interesting to ask where the line is? My impression is that surprise fees are almost always going to be unethical regardless of how they’re dressed up… This one just caught our attention because of how egregious it is. What’s next? A cultural appropriation tax on perogies to finance the war in Ukraine?
You know what leaps out at me from that bill — the tax is 12.75% of the total. Yikes!
Here I was thinking that 7.5% we have here in NC was high.
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Not to mention another of my pet peeves: when you let the computer calculate the tip — in this case 20% — it calculates it based on the total amount plus tax, and not the actual cost of the meal. I don’t mind tipping, as a general rule, but that’s where I draw the line.
The restaurateur collects a 2% “carbon tax.” Who gets that money? Does that “tax” paid to the government? Is it mandatory? What does that money get used for?
jvb
No, it’s a fee , not a tax. A tax would be illegal. No, it’s not mandatory, and the govt doesn’t get it or have anything to do with it.
And it’s not a “penalty” either.
Nor is it a “shared responsibility payment”.
It’s just a Climate Club membership fee.
Let’s be clear: it’s an unconsentual t charitable contribution. EA has written about these before. If they are voluntary, that’s fine. Don’t make me pay to support a cause I don’t choose to contribute to.
But it’s only slightly removed from what I’m seeing right now at my local Food Lion.
When I put in my phone number to activate my loyalty card discounts, the next screen that comes up is a list of donation amounts for some sort of charity. At least I presume it’s a charity, I don’t think I’ve actually read the lines.
When I press ‘no thanks’, it then brings up a screen that says ‘Donation cancelled’. No. No it is not, because I never agreed to a donation. It’s simply a form of guilt tripping to try and coerce a donation, and I resent it.
I’ll have to check, next time I’m in the store, if they have instituted a fee for cash back, which I think is outrageous. When I issue a client our prepaid debit card, I’ll often tell them that Food Lion doesn’t charge for cash back, whereas the Dollar Store does. Guess I need to check the Harris Teeter near here as well.
Since this is a “fee” rather than a “tax”, I’m guessing the money is not required to be sent to any government- or climate-based institution. So there’s likely no oversight on the money, which means it could just end up in the pockets of the pizzeria owner.
I should open a restaurant, then charge a 3% “JWTOAF” fee. I could make it sound super-noble when people ask questions, telling them it’s for animal Justice, saving Whales, endangered Tigers, Owls and their Feeding grounds, even though it’s just that Joel Wants to Own a Ferrari.
johnburger2013:
That is my question: where is that money going?
It is a little different from a fuel surcharge, because THAT is presumably there to offset increased costs (why not just raise the overall price?). If that money is not paid out on something, it does look just like a money grab (it actually IS a money grab).
-Jut
Agreed. This seems a cash shakedown more than anything.
jvb