Re: Despite recycling, residents garbage levels stagnant, Burnaby NOW, Nov. 9.
That has got to be the most ineffable news I've read in a while.
Let's put things in the right perspective, shall we? The City of Burnaby needs more money from us (the taxpayers ) in order to deal with the cost of our garbage pick-up system. So why not just say so?
We would probably still complain, but I'm sure we would hold more respect towards our elected officials for the honesty.
To tell us that the new proposed charges, in conjunction with the size of garbage toters we choose, are at all related to the attempt of reducing the amount of garbage we generate/dispose is mendacious, to put it bluntly.
I have a medium-size garbage can, and it is never more then half full.
If I would change it for a small one in order to pay less, the only thing that would change is that now, my garbage can would always be more than half full. I'm sure the same would be true for all other households.
I have travelled to many places within North America and other parts of the world, and I can safely say that we have one of the best garbage pick-up systems.
However, if the city finds it necessary to introduce a new revenue stream in order to continue such service, why not charge $1 per week to every household (I'm sure we could all live with that ) and leave that flip-flopping of the garbage cans alone.
As for reducing the amount of garbage we generate; the city had better come up with a better plan.
Because, in my opinion, the "use more, pay more; use less, pay less" approach, unless they start weighing the garbage cans prior to emptying them (which is totally unrealistic), is a really futile plan.
Frank Di Cesare, Burnaby
