How to make money during a recession. (Tucson, Flowing Wells: fit in, transfer)

[A. E. Newman]

Once upon a time it was possible to dispose of household waste at a Waste Transfer Station aka The Dump 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Correct me if I’m wrong but it seems like a distant fantasy now. Operating hours went from 70 hours a week, free, to 22.5 hours a week for $5.00 per visit! Because of the worst financial crises since the Great Depression, our esteemed so called elected public officials sat down behind their big desks, drank coffee and dreamed up more ways not to stop lining their pockets because of the financial crisis by inflicting more financial burdens on John Q. Public such as installing speed cameras with horrific fines; forcing vehicle owners to purchase new or cut their old license plate brackets so our ever alert police force would not mistakenly pull over a Snow Bird for a violation because Arizona has so many various Theme License Plates that bring in more ‘added revenue’ that no one can keep track and now the Garbage Fee, newly imposed upon the lower income population in the rural and outlying areas.

What happened to the original proposal of $2.00 per car and $5.00 per pickup truck? Now an individual who can only afford to drive a small car that holds 3 or 4 green garbage bags pays the same $5.00 as a fully loaded ¾ ton 4WD pickup truck. No segregation there! Gates and fences were constructed, steel containers installed to collect the ‘added revenue’ and a Sheriff’s deputy placed in the facility supposedly to keep the peace while he snoozes in his cruiser all day and gets paid for it from our tax revenue. Why don’t they install a roll across scale at the entrance and exits and charge by the pound?

Hats off to our elected officials starting with the Wicked Witch of the West, Jan Brewer. Thank you for the invitation to litter our streets and public highways in order to save a few dollars to put food on the table and create more waste products. I don’t think it’s necessary to mention what to do with the $5.00 receipt available to patrons of The Dump.

As seen through the eyes of a bleeding taxpayer,
Alfred E. Newman…

[Clevergirl]

At least they should have held a public meeting about the fee issue especially considering the state of the local economy.

[JillBoBill]

Maybe they're trying to promote the recycling/reusing/repurposing of these materials instead of the rapid fill-upping of our dumps. I mean... maybe. (no, seriously, maybe they're considering the environment).

[Craig121]

Legally, its not possible to make money during a recession.

Making a few cents is all you can do, but making thousands upon thousands upon thousands, you have to cut a few corners.

[blackcaboftucson]

Yeah, it's been a long stretch. Is that the Town of Marana or does Flowing Wells have any jurisdiction over the dump? Are we talking about the one off of Sweetwater?

On a different note maybe about increases in waste removal. I went to Waste Management in Marana. Just to tool around, and I asked a guy that worked there what this dumptruck was doing on top of all this garbage. He said that was his job to drive on top of this 100 - 150 foot mound of garbage with a tiller attachment and tank-like wheels added. I guess it helps add some space to the top.

I haven't been to the dump in a while I don't know how tall it is compared to...Marana's. The funny thing is. There's all these old quarry's on the edges of town. Huge freakin holes that a lot of garbage would fit into just nicely. They did that in Mass. a while ago, paved over the old dump and made lakeside property.

[A. E. Newman]

This is the transfer station at Ryan Airfield on Ajo Way west of Tucson. They had to build a special fence and gate at the street entrance off Ajo Way so people could not drop trash by the entrance to the facility in protest as they did the last time they wanted to charge to drop off waste. Then the rate would have been $2.00 per car and $5.00 per pickup truck. I guess to get even for the protest they decided "the hell with it"! So they're charging all size vehicles $5.00. All's fair in government! As far as "trying to promote the recycling/reusing/repurposing of these materials", if your trying to promote something you don't usually charge people to do it. That's like going into a Supermarket and having someone come up to you and asking you to pay money to try a new product.

[HoneyLamb]

Face it! We Americans, and others, make a lot of trash. Not all can be "repurposed." Even if there were adequate facilities, many do not recycle their trash(apts, businesses...) What do you propose we do with all the trash? Some can't afford to live right now. How many can afford to have their trash disposed of? What are all our taxes being spent on, if not to fund running towns and cities?