The main problem with her interpretation of the conditions leading to the new solid waste regulations is that they were adopted by our elected officials for good reason. The fact is that solid waste is both measurable and predictable. Unless action is taken to reduce its volume, increased costs for new disposal facilities will be required sooner than later, which will translate into higher solid waste collection and disposal costs. The elected officials understand this and acted accordingly. Residents need to do the same.
Personally, although I am a Johnson County resident, these new regulations will barely affect me. My refuse service fee will go up $18 per year, which probably would have happened sooner or later anyway. I already separate my recyclables fr0m other household refuse and both are collected for one monthly fee. I don't collect grass clippings and I do compost the leaves that I collect from my yard. The other yard wastes: flower bed clippings, twigs and similar plant debris that don't compost well go in bio-degradable paper bags, rather than plastic bags, for collection starting next year,. There will be no need for trash police or environmental lectures as Ms Herbert suggests; not for me or any other county resident, because compliance with the changes will be an easy adjustment.
It's true that much education is needed to increase recycling on the part of residents who don't bother to do it. I guess it's parallel to the seat-belt usage problem. But, unfortunately Ms Herbert's article won't contribute to a better world. The inflammatory words and phrases that she uses to obscure the need for positive action to protect the environment and to provide urban amenities poorly serve the residents of Johnson County. But, in a conservative place like this, if you want to resonate with the vox populi, invoking images of bureaucrats, misinformed elected officials, befuddled residents, beleaguered businesses, and excessive regulations, that's what you write. One can only hope that future articles in '913' by Ms Herbert will be more temperate and reasonable.
