This is why I disagree with the mandatory garbage can issue.
And I don't really care that there were meetings about it over time.
There are many people who do not have a lot of money--and this mandatory garbage ploy will strike them hard. They are mandated now to participate in an activity that will only drain from them some of the resources they already have.
Other individuals never opted for the garbage pick-up service to begin with because they have little to no garbage. Oh, overtime they may collect enough for a bag or two--but once a week mandatory pick-up will not happen for them. They just do not accumulate enough garbage. Nonetheless, they have to pay into the program no matter what. This is the law the Jefferson City council laid down on us.
Did you know Jefferson City has to enforce payment of the contract. If you decide not to pay the bill to Allied Waste, the city council gets to fine you fifty dollars. If you do not pay that, a judge can dem you guilty of contempt of court. Contempt of court can include a jail sentence.
And let's not forget we used to have larger containers picked up twice a week. Our bil is now higher and we have less volume for our garbage.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You mention meetings. There were two meetings held prior to the adoption of ordinance 14487 mandated trash via a sole "authorized" collector. And they were conveniently NOT very well advertised. The meetings were interestingly called "open houses" as opposed to Public Hearings. There is a total distinction as to the purpose of each. So the purpose of the open house was to inform and answer questions. It was dominated by Jim Crabtree as the officious chairman of the environmental committee. It was noted through out that no questions were answered if they appeared to raise issues pertaining to how this mandate was to be forced down our throats. Crabtree's answers were very vague and he would attempt to give non-answers to very real concerns. Did the city do any demographic study pertaining to affordability? (rambled until forced to give a "yes" or "NO"~ and the answer was "NO!"
ReplyDeleteThe opponents of this plan clearly outnumbered those proponents in attendance and alarmed the proponents to the extent that they sent several emails to their supporters urging them to be at the next meeting. It was noted in the email that if they didn't show up to outnumber opponents that what they had worked for for so long and hard could be lost. Should be noted no Council members were required to be there. nor was the mayor. (open house vs. hearing) Some of the city officials in on this joke were there to "explain"
At the second meeting MOST of the City Council was there and was the Mayor and was the Jefferson City Police Department (heavily represented) and the meeting was "chaired" by the Mayor and conducted in a much more formal manner. And it was still apparent that opponents outnumbered the proponents.
Very interesting process in which the concerns of the citizens were NEVER acknowledged nor were they addressed adequately. Because if they had been even understood, this 14487 would have NEVER happened.
Ah, let's see. Does 14487 and events leading to it pass any sort of smell test? Hmmmm....