Change in county garbage pickup stinks

Our intrepid Clark County commissioners have chosen to solve a problem that doesn’t exist by cutting curbside garbage pickup under the guise of increasing recycling (Wednesday Review-Journal).

With no serious demand for change from the public and no open discussions of options, but with relentless lobbying from Republic Services for its proposal, the pols are siding with the trash company.

Lacking compelling arguments in the public’s favor, the truly sagacious Commissioner Mary Beth Scow was quoted as saying that because the new recycling program is so convenient, she is recycling more and throwing away less. “I have probably half as much garbage,” she claims. What does that mean?

When asked about living in Las Vegas, I always praise the trash service. I have lived in a number of metropolitan areas, and the service here is comparatively just fine. The benefits of changing our service? The Republic Services monopoly gets lower costs and greater profits, and the commissioners can expect campaign contributions. Some workers lose their jobs or have reduced hours, and the public gets to enjoy holding a bag or two of garbage for a few extra days each week.

The whole deal stinks.

DEAN O. ALLEN

LAS VEGAS

Looking forward?

To the editor:

In response to the Clark County Commission’s vote to reduce trash pickup and increase recycling pickups:

We had the weekly bin system in California, and it was fine – unless you wanted to add one extra bag. It would be waiting for you when you got home. You had to fit it in the next week’s pickup.

I would love the recycle bin, but Republic Services could pick up our trash once a month for all we have. We eat out.

The problem that I do have is the fact that many workers will lose their jobs. Just what we need in our hour of recovery while we’re “looking forward.” Our trash pickup guys are some of the finest, most giving service workers we have met since moving here. A couple of years ago, we had a large tree blow down, and we were in our yard trying to bundle it and get it out of our driveway and street when the trash truck showed up. Two young guys from the truck came running up and told us to take a break. They ran all over our yard like a pair of locusts and had every piece of the tree picked up in minutes. Where do you find that?

If corporate greed is the problem, I’d be willing to chip in an extra dollar or two per payment to keep these guys working. Get your priorities straight.

CAROL McLENDON

HENDERSON

On guns

To the editor:

Isn’t it hypocritical that while our Senate is working hard to take away our right to own a gun, they give (not sell) F-16 jet fighters and Abrams tanks to the openly anti-American government of Egypt?

Second, as per the PR photo of President Barack Obama shooting a shotgun, why am I not surprised that he shoots from the left?

EDWARD POTTS

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Wasting food

To the editor:

In response to your Feb. 3 article on the school meal program called “Breakfast After the Bell”:

While this is a great program, I can’t understand why so much of the food is going into the garbage. If the students don’t want it, why doesn’t the Clark County School District simply donate the leftover food to local shelters that feed the homeless? I’m sure other charities would even pick up the leftover food, rather than let it go to waste.

Of course perishable foods couldn’t be donated. But any food in a package and sealed could be, and if you’re in a shelter and have no food, anything is good. The image that comes to mind is a soup kitchen, with people standing in line waiting for food.

PAT SCRANTON

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Wasting money

To the editor:

Your Feb. 3 article, “School breakfast bill adds up,” reminded me of a story I was told by a Clark County School District teacher. The educator related that teachers and staff were being laid off at a local school because of lack of funds, but at the end of the budget cycle school staff was told to order equipment and supplies they might need because the school had funds that had to be spent.

These funds could not be used to pay salaries because the funds could only be spent on items mandated by the federal government, which excluded salaries.

We have homeless people at street intersections begging for money to buy food, and our local charities are asking for money to buy food to serve to the homeless and hungry, yet our schoolchildren are throwing food in the trash because a government program requires that they take this food, even when they don’t want it.

Where is the accountability for all this wasteful spending, starting with the federal government all the way down to our school district?

We know that similar wasteful programs have been in existence for a long time in this country, but without people in responsible positions willing to stand up and say “enough of this foolishness,” and voters yet to realize that dollars from Washington come with a high cost of waste and ineffectiveness, we will only continue down the path toward the bankruptcy of our country.

JERRY STEFFES

LAS VEGAS