Landfill Bids
Once more the people of San Diego County have lost. On Dec. 17, the Board of Supervisors voted to accept a study that proposed eliminating private ownership of solid waste facilities, which includes landfills.
The board itself had reservations about the study, and numerous expert witnesses came forward citing the study as flawed and in opposition to studies by the EPA and others. Still, the board caved in to staff’s recommendations.
It was not a question of endorsing private ownership of landfills, but allowing the private industry to participate in the bidding process. The board has effectively eliminated competition, which could lower the cost of solid waste disposal to county residents. Now only the county bureaucracy has control over the costs. This after the board spent the morning pondering cuts in personnel and services to that same bureaucracy.
The Board of Supervisors must not eliminate its options when it comes to providing services for the people of this county. As a taxpayer, I call on the board to reconsider their vote and allow the free market system to determine the lowest cost of waste disposal for the people of San Diego.
PAUL SEELEY, Escondido
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