Last year Palo Alto residents were aghast when their trash rates were hiked 6%. Now the city of Palo Alto just voted in a new 29% increase in trash rates for their town. Ouch. It turns out that the folks running the town did not calculate the costs required for the plan because it’s getting more expensive to deal with trash due to how more people are recycling and not throwing away.
In other words, consumers recycling and having less trash created a gap in the infrastructure of fees associated with the entire process. And then, it seems that Palo Alto is not alone.
The above news for Palo Alto came out Wed, 9-21. Then on Friday, 9-23, it seems that garbage rates for the Peninsula cities of Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos and San Mateo are also going to be subject to yet another rate hike in their trash service fees.
If you remember, Recology took over the trash services from these cities last year. And then all of our trash billing rates went up immediately.
Now correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t most businesses, ie, in this case, county offices of political power, under the auspices to hire the least expensive bidder on contracts? It happened at my work a few years ago. The old cafe crew got ousted when a new company underbid them. Out went the old, beloved staff, in came the new staff and new company. And with that underbidding win, came higher prices, same or crappier food and well, eh. (It’s not all crap food, but what I liked, well, took a dive.)
So if my guess is right, did Recology underbid and win this contract? Then of course, they upped everyone’s rates. Now it seems that Recology is looking to do the same thing. TWICE as a matter of fact, as the Daily News article on the front page of the 9-23 edition says that rates are expected to go up at least 11% next year and at least 6% the year after. In these increases, some cities will see another 20%+ increase.
Of course Recology doesn’t charge a flat rate to all. They adjust the rate they charge via some formula, per city. If I remember right, Atherton got screwed last year. Sure, they own billion dollar homes, but to charge them more just because, is not fair in my books.
-
So what I take away from this is that to win a contract, underbid, take the hit for a year, then put it to the consumers who have very few other options. Nice. There’s a lot more on this issue at the source link below.
-
And so to with doing the right thing, like recycling, it seems that doing the right thing ends up getting the customer penalized financially.
Older business models are slow to embrace any new direction, and that’s no one person’s fault. It’s the momentum and how the business structure is these days. And right now humanity is in a transition. The public is becoming more aware and starting to do the right thing with recycling. But the process has to also be agreeable to the pocketbook of businesses and everyone involved.
Right now, many people more or less live in the moment. In other words, without a care in the world for tomorrow or the next generation.
Despite how distant or challenging it seems, it’s forward looking plans by contractors and businesses that will help make the changes this society needs to be shown, given options and be able to embrace. There need to be prevalent examples to show folks to help them make these decisions and not be lazy with convenient options with their trash.
There’s a reason there’s a huge collection of plastic floating in the ocean!
The people, the good people, the ones that don’t toss their trash out their car windows and such (yes, they still exist!), are the start. Businesses like the trash contractors in Palo Alto and such, need to start looking at how to follow suit and figure out how to not screw the customers when we do something right.
[Daily Post, Wed, 9-21-11] [Recology Upping Trash Rates]
–
