Discovery Bay, CA voted to ban cash transactions for all services

[The Straight Story]

Cash no longer king in Discovery Bay


DISCOVERY BAY -- Starting in May, residents no longer will have the option of paying for town services, including public records requests, with cash.

The Discovery Bay Community Services District board voted this week to ban cash transactions for all services, including water bills and park reservations.

Board members said the new policy will ensure the safety of town clerks and save the district time and money, but some say it is also a response to anonymous requests for public records the town has received. Those requesting records anonymously have been using cash to pay for the cost of copying the documents.

Resident Don Flint, who is often critical of the board, noted that the district began receiving anonymous records requests last fall -- it has so far received four -- and charged that the board was attempting to limit access to public information.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_17143670?nclick_check=1

[MadHound]

1. Setting themselves up for a lawsuit,

Cash is good for all debts, public and private. Since this is a government entity refusing to take cash payments, they're in for a world of hurt. Frankly I'm surprised that their legal department signed off on this.

I deplore this switch to a cashless society. What is worse is that people are so willing to go down that path.

[Ikonoklast]

2. Idiots never heard of pre-paid debit cards?

Anonymous.

[MineralMan]

3. Just looking at a brand new $20 bill.

Yup, it's still on there: "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private." Sorry, Discovery Bay, you can't do that, as you will presently discover.

[lynne]

4. I worked in an office that didn't accept cash and there wasn't a problem -

It's beneficial to not accept cash for a number of reasons - you don't have to keep money on hand for making change, removes the situation of having to deal with large cash deposits, removes the potential of theft of cash, and debit and credit cards as well as money orders leave a larger "paper trail" for tracking payments.

More and more businesses seem to be going the "no cash" route. A simple money order is all that's necessary if someone doesn't have a credit or debit card.

[Odin2005]

5. Way to screw over the poor.

:grr:

[reggie the dog]

6. cashless society will never arrive

how other than cash can the cia get its cut of the illegal drug trade

[slay]

7. Illegal

cash has to be accepted. cash is always the way to go when possible. there's a reason drug dealers don't take visa.