Heh. So there was a story in the El Paso Times, which I wrote about here on November 26 of this year, in which we were informed that recycling would be coming to El Paso in time for Earth Day 2007. Imagine my civic pride.
Now, according to that story (no longer available online from the El Paso Times), the program is "voluntary." By which is meant, according to Our Fair City's "Environmental Services Director," that it won't be "mandatory." Meaning that the damn blue containers will be delivered to my home, and I will have to call the city in order to effect their removal.
I quote my own words from November 26:
Hmm...wonder where they got the scratch to buy these bins, and to distribute them? How about funding for operating the program? Seems to me I'm already "participating," and it sure as hell wasn't my idea. So Ms Smyth and I have to agree to disagree, I guess, on the meaning of "mandatory."
Also, according to the story, the program is expected to bring in $ 2 million in revenue to the city. If that is the case, I suspect it won't be long before participation in the program is mandatory.
But there are problems with the (ahem) "voluntary" nature of the program, according to today's El Paso Inc. The story is by staff writer Ryan Poulos. The first quote we read is from city representative Eddie Holguin:
The problem I have is that we are forcing people to recycle. When the idea for the recycling program was originally presented to us last year, we were told that it wasn't going to cost people anything.
Now that is simply naive of Mr. Holguin and, not to be rude, he is old enough to know better. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and the bins, the collectors of the refuse, and the experts all have to be paid for, period.
We are then treated to the wisdom of Joyce Wilson, the City Manager of El Paso, who opines that,
"If we don't get enough participation, we'll have to adjust rates for the other customers to make up for the losses. To say the program is voluntary is a recipe for disaster. I feel like if we have put this all together and we have invested in it, we need everybody to participate."
Oh my god. You did read that, didn't you? Voluntary is a recipe for disaster. But Ms. Wilson is nothing if not generous as to how she'd prefer to treat her subjects employers: "If everybody participates in the program from the start, I feel like we may not ever have to fine anyone."
Well imagine my relief! If we all participate in a voluntary plan that we're already paying for, we may be able to avoid fines! Is that not generous of our unelected City Manager?
But it gets better.
The story goes on to quote Ellen Smyth -- described in the El Paso Times story as Our Fair City's "Environmental Services Director," and in this story as "director of Solid Waste Management" -- as saying that for "the first 30 days of the marketing campaign, there will be no mention of the penalties for not participating in the recycling program." Instead, there will be advertising "through every medium possible," according to Ms Smyth:
We're going to use billboards, television, radio, newsprint, pencils, pens and anything else we can come up with.
I'll tell you what I have "come up with:" Joyce Wilson and Ellen Smyth should be fired. Actually, they should both be tarred and feathered and ridden out of El Paso on a rail, but that won't happen. So I'll settle for termination of their employment with Our Fair City. Mr. Holguin, show some gumption and call for this -- these two terminations -- to happen. You yourself say that you are "afraid that this might become just another bad way for the City to make more money."
As all regular readers of The Anger of Compassion know, it is entirely in character for me to crow "I told you so." So: I told you so? Voluntary? Not mandatory? Bah.
I told you, on November 26. There is certainly enough solid waste being slung around. And this, I predict, is only the beginning.
Mr. Holguin, we await your courageous response.
Posted by Craig Ceely at December 18, 2006 12:00 AM