Mycomments to the Board of Supervisors:
Raising the FF to use for purposes other than waste is arguably a tax

An illegal tax. It’s taxation without representation. Americans fought the Revolutionary war over this issue over 300 years ago.

Shouldn’t there be a Proposition 218 process?

By approving the increases the rate payers will have their “taxes” increased through FF by approximately 40 dollars in the last 2 years as the county has gone from a 5% to 15% FF ---- all into the General Fund.

In March 2007 the Citizen’s Advisory for ZW presented to this Board a request for a garbage fee on waste. The Green Coalition has been in front of this Board many times asking to agendize a discussion on the waste mitigation fee for Zero Waste and specifically hire a ZW professional working for the county.

In private meetings with members of this Board we’ve been told that it is up the Waste JPA to pass a ZW mitigation fee.

Last week in a public meeting in these chambers the JPA’s consultant, R3 Consulting, presenting their draft Zero Waste study informed us that quote:“The JPA is a reporting body and cannot create a program”

This $300,000 on top of the approximately $300,000 for last years Franchise fee going to the general Fund does nothing for forwarding zero waste programs.

We urge you to stop avoiding the inevitable and designate county FF for Zero Waste programs not to pay for non garbage services.

Additionally, the haulers, that have cost plus contracts, will be getting an additional 8.5% profit as their costs increase. What is wrong with this picture?

In closing I’m pleased to report that tonight at 7PM on Marin’s new channel 26 we will be showing the award winning documentary “Trashed” a provocative investigation of one of the fastest growing industries in North America ... the garbage business.