Increasing: Trash PIckup Fees or Sour Grapes?

I mean that just calling and saying "I'll vote you out if you vote for this" sounds a bit....I don't know what word to use

But if you call and say I am against this and want to express my view to you that I do not want you to vote for it. Isn't that a basic right of our system? Aren't we bound to inform our elected officials how we want them to vote? Don't they work for us? I think informing them of what we the people want is vital, especially in an area like ours that is in so much need. We have a VERY high rate of poverty people and fixed income people, also a lot of GM retirees that have lost benefits and may loose more. These people cannot have more fees and taxes. We want people to move to Anderson to grow our tax base do you think people are going to want to move here with more fees? We need to trim the fat in our City. So I think it is time that the people stood up and VOICED their opinion and let the elected officials know where we stand. Not as a threat, it isn't us vs them, we are all in this mess together and we need teamwork to get out of it and without communication this cannot be accomplished.

I did not tell my excouncilman I would vote them out of office.  That is just my feeling.  His reasoning is they will have to do away with some of our services.  Hey what about having the Mayor and Dept heads take a cut in pay.  They can afford that better than people on SS that are being raked over the coals.  Now Nestle's wants another tax abatement.  When is it going to stop on all the freebies?

Myself, I'd never use "don't support this or I won't vote for you" within a message toward one holding a public office. Now I may say as much within a venue such as this, but not within a communication with the office/position holder. Why? Because if they are unable to figure that fact out then I question whether they are fit to hold the office in the first place.

I agree that dialog needs to be respectful and constructive, and I understand the challenges our state and city government are currently facing. The question is whether or not they understand those facing each one of us, and in a lot of cases I suspect the answer is no.

As others have alluded to, government has pretty much become used to spending what they don't have, and taking what they need to cover the bills from each one of us. The problem is that now each one of us are either in crises over job losses, or fearful we are going to be in the near future. And while we adjust our lives accordingly, to many of us the perception of our local and city government is that they are conducting themselves as if there isn't a problem; expecting us to foot the bill for their inability to adjust to the current situation.

For many within this city "crises" is not a sufficient word to describe what has transpired within their lives over the past year; disaster comes a little closer. Loss of income, loss of home, loss of the ability to provide for themselves and their family; coupled with declining options surrounding getting the help they need to survive, for some the situation becomes unbelievable.

Is 11 bucks a month going to break any of us posting on this site? Probably not, but the reality is that the same 11 bucks may mean the difference between getting to work in Indianapolis, or eating for a growing segment within our city. And for some of us this situation may become our very own lives in the coming months.

Take a walk outside and look at your neighborhood. How many for sale signs or foreclosure signs do you see? How many homes stand empty? I don't have to tell you this, but it sure seems to me like our elected officials haven't seen a single one yet, and if they have they are more interested in tearing the existing home down than adjusting their budgets to allow them to operate within their new means. Pretty simple math really, empty homes = shrinking revenue streams = shrinking budgets.

Muncie is already making the hard choices, cutting headcount, cutting service levels, and doing everything they can to adjust as quickly as possible to their rapidly declining revenue streams. It just appears to me as if the City of Anderson and its leadership want to try to ignore it, thinking if they do so long enough it will just go away. The reality is, if they ignore it long enough there won't be anyone left.

With this situation I wonder if they've considered placing centralized trash collection sites in strategic areas of the community, and having folks haul their own trash to them? Or perhaps reducing collection to bi-weekly, with an option for weekly trash collection in exchange for this magical fee? Or if they've actually considered anything else besides raping those of us left in this city?

The reality is most city business appears to be conducted under the table and out of earshot of those whom it impacts the most. They seem to like it that way too!

Palehorse your my hero!

I found Tobi Jones’ comments very interesting and the responses to her comments even more interesting.  Several posters have pointed out that city officials need to learn to scale back as fewer funds and funding options are available.  ABSOLUTELY, but, what Tobi suggests is not to merely call your representatives with DON’Ts, call them with suggestions (if you have them).  To respond to her suggestions by explaining why you shouldn’t have to have suggestions doesn’t get you any closer to a solution or a resolution in your favor.  OBVIOUSLY, the council intends to pass this funding request.  The die is probably already cast on this issue.  But, calls and suggestions may put other alternatives on the table as well as put your council member on notice that you do not intend to stand for this new fee without a fight.  What have you got to lose?  Let’s Rebuild Anderson has an excellent idea re: tabling the issue for a period of time.  That is only likely to happen if you pressure your representatives, not with threats, rants or yelling, but with suggestions and reasoning.

Also, I use to attend council meetings when I lived inside the city limits, but I stopped when I moved.  However, I did follow the link that Tobi provided.  It looks like the issue WAS addressed at the 6-11-09 meeting.  I would guess that both the 1^st and 2^nd readings were voted on at that time.  It would behoove all who are interested to attend as many meetings as possible.  The stakes are very high.  

Tobi,

No offense is intended.  Just that Anderon is not like it used to be.  CUT

I do not want to see cuts either.  My Daughter just graduated from IU with a teaching degree.  I wish there was a way she could stay close.

She is my baby.  I will miss her.  She has to life her own life.  I just am having problems with it.

Tobi I appreciate what you do and to the determent of what I want make the right choice and CUT

Rusty, I understand what you are sayiing, but cut what? Paving budget, police, fire, parks maintenance?  The mayor makes less than many of you think he does, and department heads too, also many of them spend alot more hours working than you think they do...

Maybe instead of saying "cut cut cut"  say "what have you already cut

Wheel tax was for roads/potholes. 

 I'd privatize water department, sell off the public pools, including athletic park, and carve up the parks department.  

Toby,

Just curious what is your stance on the trash tax?

Sell off the trash to Manifold etc.  If the city can't afford it, it can't keep it,  CUT!