Published: June 01, 2009 04:59 pm      

In Your View — 06/02/09

Commission wrong to reject recycling

Recycling solid waste is becoming the “norm” in the U.S. today, just as recycling water is the “norm.” Recycling is also the norm for private business because of its positive revenue stream. Big Sandy, Mansbach, Kroger, Wal-Mart, all private companies, recycle for the revenue it provides.

Maysville, Pikeville and Lexington have implemented recycling. By doing so, these communities have had a dramatic reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfills and are becoming revenue generators for their governments, not expenditures.

A committee appointed by Ashland and Boyd County commissioners explored the feasibility of recycling in our community. Over a 2-year period, it visited numerous communities within Kentucky to understand what these communities did right or wrong and decided what would work best for our area. A year ago they applied for and received a $144,024 grant from the state of Kentucky to help offset the start-up costs of a recycling center.

On May 7, three Ashland city commissioners and the mayor voted 4-1 to reject a partnership with Bayd County to establish a recycling center.

Three Ashland city commissioners and mayor have rejected a $144,024 grant from the state. They have rejected opening a recycling center which can reduce the amount of waste contributed to the local landfill by 98 pecent; they have rejected a plan to increase revenues to the city in a time of fiscal turmoil; they have increased expenditures by paying a private contractor to remove the recyclable goods from which this private contractor then sells and generates revenue for the contractor, not for the city.

The time for recycling has come. Our city commissioners and mayor need to take the lead and implement this plan for our community.

Kurt Jaenicke, Ashland



ABC Recycling is right way to go

I am writing this letter to express my regret that on May 7 after two years of exploration, planning, requesting, and then receiving, a grant from the Kentucky Division of Waste, the Ashland city commissioners voted 4-1 not to partner with Boyd County to establish Ashland-Boyd County Recycling Center. I feel that we are missing a valuable opportunity to work together to make our area both environmentally and fiscally responsible.

Here are some facts taken from the “ABC Recycling” revised draft:

‰ In 2008, the city recycled 318.44 tons of material and paid Rumpke $5,550 to haul it to its processing center.

‰ In a good market, recycled materials range from $100 to $500 per ton, depending on the materials.

‰ At the minimum amount, the tonnage we had last year would have generated $31,844.

If recycling continues to grow — which we hope it does for the good of our environment — we will need more containers, more drop-off sites, and more pick-ups which will increase costs to our city.

With ABC Recycling, as recycling grows our tax revenue would also grow, which would provide funds for curbside recycling and more.

This is why ABC Recycling is the right thing to do! We need to join the ranks of Maysville, Pikeville, Lexington (which profited $1 million at the end of 2007), and 17 other government recycling centers that I am aware of in Kentucky.

Ashland, let's not be left behind! Please attend the June 4 city commission meeting at 7 p.m. (located on the 3rd floor of our city building) and ask our commissioners to revisit and reconsider the Ashland-Boyd County Recycling Center.

Debbie Frazier, Ashland



Ashland should not nix recycling plan

As an avid recycler and a concerned citizen of Ashland, I am asking that our commissioners look again at the proposal to partner with Boyd County in a regional recycling program.

Although I appreciate and use the Rumpke bins positioned throughout the city, I look forward to one day having curbside recycling available in Ashland. This could become a reality if income generated from the sale of recycled goods was put back into a joint effort between the city and county. Having learned that other nearby communities such as Maysville and Pikeville and many towns and counties throughout the state have their own recycling programs, I am convinced that Ashland needs to take the next step to reduce the use of landfills and show we care for our environment.

Although the initial expense may be high the future benefits will be great.

Barbara Clark, Ashland



Can faiths find a common ground?

People of faith who profess belief in one of the world's major religions could probably find common ground in the following:

-- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

-- Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God.

-- Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength and your neighbor as you love yourself.

Even our brothers and sisters of no faith who do not believe there is a God can observe the Golden Rule, do justice, love kindness, love neighbor and self.

Are the precepts stated above idiotic, naive, weak? Do they apply to individuals only? Should they influence how an economic system should operate?

Can one live by these precepts and still walk down the path of greed and lust for power to control others? Is world peace an achievable dream worth pursuing? How can the world’s people of genuine faith and good will move the nations' leaders toward finding the elusive common ground tie that binds humanity?

I am a Christian whose faith gives me hope and keeps me going as an individual. I like to think of myself as an ecumenical Christian who loves people of all religions. It is sad the world’s major religions’ love component has so little impact on reducing deadly violence and on helping us find a global economic system that is just. We are all citizens of the world community drawn closer every day by the Internet and our need for resources we lack.

I pray that God's will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Our survival as interdependent individuals and nations is tied to how well we do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.

Paul L. Whiteley Sr., Louisville



Protect your pets from hot weather

Hot weather is upon us and with the rise in temperatures comes much suffering for animals.

Dogs are descendents of the wolf, an animal who spends days in the cool forests or in rock shelters. Just as the wolf seeks shelter from the sun so also dogs need shade. Rather than providing shade, a dog house sitting in the sun quickly becomes an oven. Dog houses need to be placed under a large tree or a side porch needs to be built on the house to provide shade.

Dogs need plenty of fresh, clean water every day. Water will stay cooler and cleaner if it is in a bucket, rather than a shallow bowl. Keeping a small scrub brush by the water spigot is a good reminder to keep the bucket clean. It is also essential that cats have fresh water available at all times. The care of a pet ought not to be put entirely in the hands of a child. Adult supervision is needed!

Many supposedly loving pet owners make the grave error of leaving their pets in the car while they run errands during the warm months. Animals and babies are found dead every year locked in cars with the windows cracked. Even temperatures as low as 65 degrees outside can quickly soar to 120 degrees inside a car — resulting in agony and death. Please leave your animals at home and save the car rides for the cooler months.

Spend some quality time each day with your animals — pet them, talk to them, take them for a walk. Every creature deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. Having an animal requires time and money. If you are unwilling or unable to give either, please don’t get an animal.

Lucia Beeler, CecIlia