Middletown Trash Program & Recyclables
The trash program isn't doing quite as well as we were previously led to believe. I was doubtful of the proclaimed 95% participation rate. It's actually appx. 65% (and this is still an estimate) with the town recycling appx. 45% of its trash. A minimum particpation rate of 95% is needed to keep the cost neutral for the town. This means oncoming probable cost expenditures for this trash removal system which you may or may not use. While I'm happy that some like it, I know of some who are having problems due to bag cost. No consideration was made for those who just can't afford the bags, let alone larger material's removal. I object to the whole system. The town should pay for trash removal.
Recycling is good. But the Johnston Landfill is going to soon be filled no matter how much recycling we do. Energy conversion of trash needs to be on the agenda. Yet we are doing little in this regard. Right now the Resource & Recovery Corp. is enjoying the $ it makes from recycling while giving little thought to the long haul. The buck stops with the Guv who isn't paying a whole lot of attention to this oncoming disaster either besides raising tipping fees.
The day after I wrote this I see in Projo that the Guv is going to audit the R & R Corp. for expenditures. Why didn't this pop up in the Big Audit? I also see a bill introduced to again raise tipping fees. The State is making plenty of $ off of selling recyclables. What are you doing with this besides buying more dumping land? We need to eliminate our trash, not just find new places to dump it. When was the last time they came here with their truck to pick up computers, etc.?
Gee, isn't it odd that only those in favor of the program showed up at the last Council meeting? Reminds me of the song about a spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down.
Recycling is good. But the Johnston Landfill is going to soon be filled no matter how much recycling we do. Energy conversion of trash needs to be on the agenda. Yet we are doing little in this regard. Right now the Resource & Recovery Corp. is enjoying the $ it makes from recycling while giving little thought to the long haul. The buck stops with the Guv who isn't paying a whole lot of attention to this oncoming disaster either besides raising tipping fees.
The day after I wrote this I see in Projo that the Guv is going to audit the R & R Corp. for expenditures. Why didn't this pop up in the Big Audit? I also see a bill introduced to again raise tipping fees. The State is making plenty of $ off of selling recyclables. What are you doing with this besides buying more dumping land? We need to eliminate our trash, not just find new places to dump it. When was the last time they came here with their truck to pick up computers, etc.?
Gee, isn't it odd that only those in favor of the program showed up at the last Council meeting? Reminds me of the song about a spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down.
4 comments:
Is is true we may have opened our selves up for additional taxation on the Bags?
I'm not sure what you mean? Please explaing. Remember, I don't buy the bags.
Yes, I think anonymous is referring to a tax increase to cover the costs of of the deficit in the participation rate you mentioned, either that or the cost of bags goes up, dreadful either way...I miss the transfer station :(
Duh. Thanks. Of course. Sometimes I just have a brain freeze.
The whole point of the trash system we have is for it to pay for itself. If it continues not to do so, there are only two alternatives- raise the bag price and/or have the town subsidize.
Either is problematic. Expect the spectre to be raised for the next budget.
BTW, with the Guv's budget to reduce state aid to towns, this will be an especially difficult budget year (to put it mildly). The Guv wants us to use any reserves we have to pay for services. He also (unspoken) wants us to re-negotiate any Union contracts that we have to reduce costs. Easier said than done.
This State aid money is actually OUR money to begin with (well, let's face it, it's ALL our money, isn't it). We have given up various areas of local taxation (like car taxes & tax-empt properties) in lieu of these payments from the State. What a bloody mess this promises to be. Talk about double-speak. This is how the Guv proposes to lower our property taxes- by making us pay for more??? It's a forced diet because we're too stupid & irresponsible ourselves to manage our towns/cities while while the State takes most of our revenues. Gee, thanks.
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