Dear Editor:
(In response to: ‘Common waste hauler wrong for township, community,? The Citizen, Feb.7, page 6.)
I agree with Brian Cummings? letter regarding the township forcing residents to use a common waste hauler they want us to use. In fact, we were in the process of changing back to our local waste hauler for two reasons. First, to put the money in our neighbor’s pocket instead of giving it to the ‘one of the nation’s leading waste and environmental services providers? with their ‘world headquarters? in Phoenix. Second, to avoid what feels like bag counting each week.
In regard to saving roads, what difference does it really matter if there are different trucks going down the road? Each company has a route and each company only comes down the road once a week. What’s the difference if it is a dump truck or a school bus? Are you going to limit how many cars come down each road? How about the size of the vehicle? I’m sure it would be easier on the roads if we all drove Ford Focuses instead of one ton trucks. The waste hauling trucks aren’t the problem. The problem is Michigan’s weather; the terrain of the land; the water shed off of the road; etc.
I’m with Brian Cummings on this one and any other attempt to take away my right of choice. I’m fed up with ‘Big Brother’s government.? As Cummings put it, ‘what’s next?? How about one doctor’s office? One restaurant? One TV repairman? One construction company? Sound silly? That’s why we have free trade in America. Socialism is not being able to choose. This is rural America and why many people moved here to get away from the restrictions of living in the city. I vote against any attempt to take away my rights’any of them.
So, thank you, Brian Cummings’thanks for keeping your eyes open and informing the community on this issue. So many people are just trying to survive in these times. Although I realize this involves your trade directly, more importantly, it involves all of us in the community because it involves our rights. Had this been two companies trying to fix rates to force other companies in the same trade out of business, I believe it would be a violation of federal trade laws which the penalty can be prison and/or up to a million dollar fine. When it’s government; government, who made the law, say it’s OK for them to do it. Go figure?.?
Kathy Stockley
Brandon Township