Tt post mar 24 2016 b

Regarding JoeyGee's link to today's March 23, 2016 Blade story titled Toledo’s landfill is reaching capacity unless the city acts ...

I refuse to believe the city's claim. It's a lie, in my opinion. A huge, fear-mongering-based lie.

And we've seen this story already.

One reason for the city implementing the illegal refuse fee last decade was because the city claimed that we needed to extend the lifespan of our landfill.

The city promised that the refuse fee would drop to zero for people who recycled. This was to encourage more recycling, which would extend the lifespan of the landfill.

All lies. More people recycled, which allegedly was a good thing. But the city did not give recyclers the promised discount because the city needed the money.

The refuse fee was sold as something altruistic, but it was always a revenue stream for the city to use however it wanted.

Blade stories:

• March 2007 when the refuse fee was first implemented:

The fee is aimed at subsidizing the $16 million annual expense of unlimited weekly trash pickup and dumping in the city-owned landfill in North Toledo.

Yeah right. We already paid taxes to support those functions.

• February 2008

A Toledo councilman wants to charge residents who don't recycle a $10 monthly trash fee. The cost for those who do recycle at the curb? Nothing.

Councilman D. Michael Collins, author of the proposed ordinance, said the incentive will increase recycling and thereby extend the life of the city's landfill on Hoffman Road.

"If 60 percent of the households recycle, that equates to 18,000 tons of solid waste a year," Mr. Collins said.

The landfill has an expected remaining life of about 27 years. Building a new landfill would cost about $80 million.

That was 2008. Landfill lifespan of 27 years. That equals 2035.

From today's March 2016 Blade story, the city claims that the landfill has a lifespan of 6.7 years. That's about 2023.

Despite the dramatic increase in recycling over the past nine years, our landfill lost about 12 years of life.

Oh, and of course the city needs more money. Interesting timing on all of this. That's why I don't believe the city. More from today's Blade story:

The city needs $3.3 million to add another cell that would provide 4.6 additional years worth of space at the current fill rate.

After that, a new section that would last 35 years — and cost taxpayers $29.6 million — would need to be created.

There is currently no plan to pay for this expense, officials acknowledged.

David Welch, commissioner of the streets, bridges, and harbor division, said the city has a solid waste trust fund, which is supposed to be the account for money identified for landfill expansion.

City spokesman Janet Schroeder said the fund has only $59,611 — less than 2 percent of what’s needed for the cell expansion.

Council President Steven Steel said he thought the fund had “a few hundred thousand dollars.”

Thought? Money might be missing?

If the Blade had the resources, that looks like an investigation.

Regarding the city's latest claim about the landfill's lifespan, maybe the city is telling the truth this time, for the first time, but how or why would anyone believe the city's claims?

I would need the Toledo media combined with multiple outside auditors who are not on the take to investigate Toledo's landfill issue to prove that the lifespan only has a few more years. Otherwise, it's all a lie, in my opinion.

More from today's Blade story:

A percentage of money the city charges for private companies to dump trash at the landfill is directed to the fund. Also, money the city used to receive for recyclables was deposited into that account, but the city now pays to have recyclables processed.

And about the 2016 refuse fee:

The city expects to collect $11.27 million from the trash fee if it is increased as proposed April 1.

For 2007
from April 1 to the end of that year:

The trash fee, which is expected to raise $2.9 million in 2007, expires on April 30, 2008.

Astute observers will notice the "expires" word back in 2007. Yes, it was suppose to be a one-year fee. Another lie.

And what about dropping the illegal tax to zero for recyclers?

Another February 2008 Blade story

An idea to charge Toledo residents who don't recycle a higher trash fee and nothing for those who do recycle at the curbside is admirable, but may create a budget crunch, Bill Franklin, the city's director of public service, told a council committee yesterday.

"My problem is if everyone signs up [to pay] zero, we are getting zero revenue," Mr. Franklin said during a committee of the whole meeting.

Councilman George Sarantou acknowledged that the idea could increase recycling.

"If the money doesn't come in because everyone is recycling, then you have a $4.8 million problem," Mr. Sarantou said.

The refuse fee. An illegal tax that was simply a money grab for the city. It had nothing to do with recycling and the landfill's lifespan. More lies.

The city could not drop the fee to zero in 2008 for recyclers, but the city promised to drop it to zero in the future.

March 2008 Blade story about year number two of the one-year refuse fee:

Toledo City Council on Tuesday decided by an 8-4 vote to increase the city's trash collection fee to $7 a month for those who don't recycle and $2 a month for those who do.

The refuse fee will increase again on May 1, 2009, to $8.50 a month for those who don't recycle and drop to $1 for those who do.

Beginning May 1, 2010, the fee will increase again to $10 a month for those who don't recycle, and drop to zero for those who participate in recycling.

Two years later, May 2010 Blade story

Toledo's monthly refuse fee was $8.50 for those who didn't recycle and $1 for those who did. That was the fee until March 30, when a divided City Council increased it to $15 a month.

Mayor Mike Bell said he needed that increase to help address a $48 million general fund deficit.

Whoa, you mean that the fee was not meant to increase recycling in order to increase the lifespan of the landfill?

Another May 2010 Blade story where city government settled on the new fee rate:

The fee was cut from $15 a month to $5 for seniors with homestead exemptions and who recycle; $8.50 for other Toledoans who recycle, and $15 for those Toledoans who do not recycle.

Not zero for recyclers as promised two years earlier. Lies.

And back in 2011, mayor Bell sold or tried to sell some of our landfill space to private haulers, which would be another revenue stream. But what happened to the concern about the lifespan of our landfill?

Do not believe anything that the city claims unless something or someone you trust can verify the claim.

With each passing year it gets harder to be supportive of Toledo by living in the city, patronizing the small local businesses, and promoting the city to people who have lived here or just moved here but who are unfamiliar with what exists. I'm always suggesting the small, local, independent businesses as options to people. I did that again last night with a young couple that I met.

It's about time that the small business owners establish a stronger voice against city government. I realize that they are probably too busy managing their businesses to get involved politically, and they may fear making enemies with the city.

But with taxes, fees, and assessments continually increasing due to city government's incompetence and possible malfeasance, then maybe we should incur our own savings by shopping more online and at big-box retail stores.

The small business owners should be familiar with managing money responsibly. It seems that they would be the most outraged about the city's mismanagement of funds, especially when the small business owners know how difficult it can be to deal with the city and county governments.

In 2007, Toledo Choose Local formed.

... a non-profit dedicated to creating awareness of the importance of local, independently-owned businesses in the Toledo area.

Buy Local Pledge

• I pledge to think local first when seeking out a business to meet my need. - check
• I pledge to recommend local alternatives to others when shopping for goods and services, dining out, meeting friends, etc. - double check
• I pledge to support my local non-profit organizations. - check
• I pledge to purchase local produce and other foods from local vendors whenever possible. - triple check
• I pledge that I will do my best to keep more of my hard earned dollars circulating in my community by making more purchases at local, independently-owned businesses in the Toledo area. - check

Stat from back then:

40% more money stays in our community when purchases are made at independently owned businesses as opposed to national chains!

Why Local?

• Significantly more money re-circulates in Toledo when purchases are made at locally owned, rather than nationally owned, businesses.
• Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of our distinctive character.
• Non-profits receive greater support.
• Reduced environmental impact.
• Most new jobs are provided by local businesses.
• Customer service is better.
• Local business owners invest in community.
• Public benefits far outweigh public costs.
• Competition and diversity leads to more choices.
• Encourages investment in Toledo.

Okay. Then the local business owners need reciprocate. They need to organize a voice that demands more government transparency and audits. They should not tolerate the lies from government. And friends of government need not apply.