This morning we learn from Gannett that regardless of taxpayer concerns, the city is not likely to retract the $10-a-month garbage fee in Oshkosh this year.
Much of the discussion of the fee over the last few weeks centered around how garbage collection for condo dwellers would fare. Yet the major problem with the fee is that each resident is charged the same fee regardless of how much garbage they produce. A single person throwing out a bag of garbage per week (for some even less if they use composting) gets the same $10 fee as a family of four throwing out 3 or 4 bags. It would be like being charged for 10 gallons of gas even if you only need 5 gallons. Instead of simply looking for ways to get garbage collection back on the tax rolls, the council should direct the administration to look for ways to institute a system that charges residents based on the volume of garbage they produce.
The other ruse in this entire discussion has been the idea that certain businesses were treated unfairly when garbage collection was on the tax rolls because they were paying for pickup but not getting it. Everyone pays taxes for things that they do not use but are allegedly good for them anyway. Childless couples and childless single people pay taxes for the public school system--should they be exempt? There are people who never go to the public library yet their taxes help to maintain it--should they be exempt? My guess is that probably half the city of Oshkosh will never go to the Leach Amphitheatre but their taxes are paying for the development of the infrastructure that supports it--should they be exempt?
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15 comments:
Have you been living under a rock? The $10.00 fee was part of the 2006 budget. A little late to change it now.
Tony hasn't been living under a rock, you have. Almost everyone running for office this year said they were open to looking for a way to nix the 2006 garbage fee.
It can be repealed. Not for the last quarter of this year, but it could be for next year. The city manager would have to figure out a way to make the budget work, which is what he gets paid to do. Let's see him start earning that $130,000 a year.
You would expect him to find over $600,000.00 in cuts for 1/2 of a year. That would be double the cuts he would have needed for a whole year. An example, if he would have to cut 10 police to make the budget for a whole year ($600,000.00) he would need to cut 12 for the 6 months to make up the same amount. Not an option. For those of you who voted for Dennis thinking he could make the fee go away this year, you were duped. Next year yes, this year, no way to make it work.
Tony,
I am having difficulty in understanding the exact point that you are trying to make here and which side of the fence that you are on (or perhaps straddling). Perhaps I read you incorrectly but it almost sounds as if you are in favor of a modified user fee system for garbage pick-up. You are chiding the city fathers (and mothers) for not establishing individual user fees based on the actual amount of garbage curbed weekly. How exactly would the city practically determine the charge? Would it be by pound, by volume, by bag, by container? Why not suggest that while the city is at it, use of city sewers be based on the amount of effluent flowing from each residence/business rather than on the amount of water consumed? Let's just put meters on every house....sounds logical but not very likely or practical. This entire discussion makes me want to join Thoreau at Walden Pond!
It seems that whenever people come to live together in communities, there are certain basic services that necessarily need to be provided for the common good....One of these would seem to be garbage pick-up - certainly an inalienable right that our city fathers and mothers have usurped....(I'm almost positive that this was listed under our original Bill of Rights promulgated by out Founding Fathers (there were apparently no Founding Mothers back then).
In any case, it just seems that many average Oshkosh residents have just decided that at least for this one issue, they are "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!!" thx, Steve V
Steve,
"Variable rate" methods of paying for garbage collection (also known as "pay as you throw") are becoming more popular around the country. I do not have the time, unfortunately, to provide you with links to resources on them. I predict that within the next 20 years almost all cities the size of Oshkosh and smaller will be using some kind of variable rate method. I see no reason why Oshkosh cannot be a leader on this.
The major benefit of the pay as you throw systems, in addition to making garbage collection less expensive for a significant portion of the population, is that they promote an ethic of producing less garbage and using environmentally friendly disposal methods like backyard composting. Everyone should want those things, regardless of their political orientation or whether or not they are Thoreau fans :-)
If anyone does have some good links to resources on variable rate garbage disposal systems plesase do pass them on.
Thank-you Tony for your follow-up note...I have not posted here previously but have enjoyed reading the many thoughtful and some times less than thoughtful posts here...
I do, however, respectfully disagree with your stated belief that you: "see no reason why Oshkosh cannot be a leader on this." It's a nice enough sentiment but in my 20 years of residence in Oshkosh, I have seen very few signs that Oshkosh is ready to don the mantle of leadership as either a bastion of the Progressive or Environmental movements. To the contrary and most unfortunately, most Oshkosh residents appear to be politically neutral and inactive except for issues like this one which have a direct pocketbook effect. Take care.
Steve V
Good evening all.
I have posted on my blog regarding this issue and may answer some of the questions raised by comments made here.
I would encourage anyone that opposes this fee to attend the council meeting and show your opinion on this issue. It is not a done deal and can be stopped. It all depends on the community to step up and take a stand. I wish I could be there but circumstances prevent that.
Have a great evening,
K Monte
Here in Chippewa Falls our garbage service is entirely private. Each household chosses the hauler they want to use and are billed by them just like anything else you buy.
That means there are 2-3 trucks on different days going thru the neighborhoods. The city handles recycling which has an independent schedule for pick-up.
Garbage haulers charge for the size of container you choose. Bills are paid quarterly.
Completely free market.
S.B.,
Dumping garbage improperly to avoid the fee is a legitimate concern, especially in large urban areas with high rates of poverty. But problems like that usually happen when a community has not been properly informed about the pay as you throw system. Education is key to making such a system work. My understanding is that the Environmental Protection Agency offers much assistance to cities that want to shift to payt, so should Oshkosh want to move in that direction there would be help available. I think we should set as our goal to move toward such a system by 2010--giving us ample time to get prepared.
Kudos to Bryan Bain, Bill Castle, Shirley Mattox, Meredith Scheuermann and Burk Tower for their vote on an amended solid waste ordinance establishing a garbage fee.
What passed was a fee ONLY for the final three months of 2006 and one which ends on Dec. 31, 2006. Certainly the best fee would have been NO fee, but the 2006 budget was approved six months ago based on the collection of this fee and to not institute it tonight would undoubtedly have had very serious effects in how our city government operated for the balance of this year.
I again thank these five council members for being committed to trying to find sufficient cuts in the 2007 budget process so we do not need a fee after Dec. 31.
Thank you council members for sticking your heads straight up your... Did anyone actually listen to the commnets? They bitched and moaned about the fee and then said they would support it. They claimed eleventh hour as being a reason their hands are tied. What was tied back in November? They claimed they should have done something back in November. Why didn't they. Because those "heroes of the people" are guttless politicians who sit on their thumbs and then claim it is too late. Good luck to the three nimrods running in April.
Good luck to the other 2 on the council if and when they run again. Esslinger and Castle didn't help resolve the situation either.
That's right. Castle thought everything was perfect and Esslinger acted like a baby and wouldn't support anything if he couldn't get support for his own offers.
Come next April, people will have forgotten all about this. Fact is you'll have a tough time tossing these people out on their ears no matter how much you want a seat on the council.
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