December 20, 2007
To the Editor:
I read on your front page that the Sparta Town Council enacted a mandatory garbage collection. I attended both public forums on the subject this weekend and the sentiment expressed was in favor of rejecting the current bid and to re-bid it with an ‘opt out’ option.
I was stunned council would willfully ignore the expressed sentiment of those present, instead continuously referring to an online poll with little or no accepted methodology. There was too little notice provided of this poll’s existence and the poll was withdrawn from the website once word got around. That this sophomoric poll was withdrawn after a favorable vote achieved but several days before council voted makes one wonder. What were they afraid of...that the result would not fit with their agenda? I have never seen a body of government so blatantly ignore the wishes of those they supposedly represent, instead bowing to an abstract and unverifiable ‘silent majority.’ Was the purpose of holding those forums, simple window dressing? What a shame.
I would consider this council decision little more than a bad joke except I don’t consider the removal of my freedom of choice [and expression] all that funny. Does the council place any value at all on our right to choose how we spend our money? Or is that value set at the approximate $200 that their vote saved some and costs others. And why do they get to decide this? I can not imagine that this is over by any measure and would implore the citizens of
The ultimate measure of their wisdom will be to see how their plan works out; not in the short-term ‘buy-in’ period via low bid by a new waste hauler, but in the long term. Let’s see if any undisclosed costs are imposed. Let’s be vigilant to see if there is a tie-in between this mandatory expense to our citizens and any changes to current waste transfer arrangements.
Peter Locher, Sparta
