I was heartened to see this common-sense commentary from a citizen down in Jacksonville who is fed up with 2007 legislation lead by Marc Basnight (D-Dare) that will raise the cost of waste disposal and virtually ensure no new disposal industries spring up in economically beleaguered areas of the state, like Eastern N.C. (Full disclosure: she cites one of my pieces. Here’s another.) But there is still a lot of confusion out there. So let me clear it up:
Recycling is either a) wasteful of resources, or b) skims your profits and gives them to big companies (or uses said profits to subsidize stupid, wasteful recycling).
If the government is burning gas to save glass, well, that just makes no sense–particularly with gas prices the way they are. But if they’re taking away something valuable, that means the state is getting in between you and a potential buyer–and charging you for the privilege! If the answer is both a) and b) then we’ve got a system of cross-subsidy that is even wackier than anyone could’ve imagined. It’s time we started attacking one of the left’s favorite moralisms. Because it’s a sham.
Remember, any cost-effective recycling means big companies are benefiting from your labor and fees. How is that fair? The environmental benefits, if any, are offset by all the extra diesel-spewing trucks on the road. It’s time to start guestioning authority. Speak truth to power.
-Max Borders
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