Gee, I wonder why!
RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE

The garbage rate increase from 2008 is 61.61%. I used to bring a black plastic sack to the curb plus two recycle bins. Now I have to rent garbage cans from recology and build a path from the side yard to the concrete pad in front of the garage because the new cans won't fit in my garage.

Recology has made it more labor intensive for its customers and less labor intensive for itself and we have the honor of paying more for that privilege.

I went to an information session at the West Bay Sanitary District on Laurel Avenue in Menlo Park and had the pleasure of listening to a lady who said that everyone should be composting and that garbage disposals should be illegal.

Don't you just love those environmentalists who are soooo smart. These are the same people who call Carbon Dioxide a pollutant. They obviously don't understand that carbon dioxide is essential for photosynthesis without which we would have no oxygen and the planet would die.

We now have sewer pipes in San Francisco clogging up because not enough water is being released with the flushing of fecal matter.

Some of these liberal environmentalists work for CARB. You know the Board that geve us MTFE. When I was in Maryland I would get 24 MPG; with the California forumulation I get 18 MPG. A 25% reduction. Liberal environmentalists have made our lives so much easier.

I thought they weren't supposed to begin pick up in residential neighborhoods before 6am. They were picking up at 5:35 this morning! No accountability.

As a 30 year business owner can somenone please explain to me who was in the room looking after the interest of Menlo residents snd businesses negotiatiang these union contracts? a 61% increase in 3 years!who ever oversaw these contracts should be held accountable. Have you walked downtown Menlo lately? I count 11 closed store fronts and of course all the vacant waste land which is now El Camino real is this what you call smart growth? until Menlo gets more customers or residents(Derry Project)everyone will be paying more and more to support our bloated goverment I am sure this is a selling point for any new business and what is Palo Altos vacancy rate 2%.

Great point, Bob Larson. I want to find out how a company that was no longer to be involved in the garbage collection service had the right to negotiate a labor contract that binds us now for 5 years. If there was malfeasance here, those involved should be identified and appropriately censured.

Since I wasn't at the meeting, how did each council member vote? And what responsibility do they have in the matter?

Every time this subject comes up in the context of Menlo Park, I can't help thinking about Naples, Italy, and the issues there around the picking up of garbage. Citizens, residents, are at the mercy of others ...

It stinks.