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Good morning, I suppose most of the residents have heard about the proposal to tax everything with a user fee to pay for solid waste disposal.
It's seems like an in effective way to approach the problem.Solid waste is a huge problem but it has been dealt with very effectively in the states and other islands with mandatory recycling, bottle and can deposits, composting and waste to enery plants.
I know that we all have to pay for waste disposal, but would't it make sense to have all these proven methods in place before a mass tax is levied.
So the pending proposal seems at best backwards. It generates money but has no plan to reduce the waste stream. Over 600K was spent developing the proposal without any mention of possible methods of waste reduction.
So I guess we all have to contact our officials and representatives and express our opinions before another expensive, innefficient, and ridiculous law is passed and negatively affects our economy, cost of living and does nothing to improve the present mind set on dealing with solid waste in the Territory.
Posted : November 23, 2007 2:15 pm
All sorts of numbers are thrown around regarding the number tourists each year. The DR island charges an entry fee of $10.00 per head at the Airport. An additional tax or fee paid by tourist, collected by the Cruise Lines and Air lines might be a solution. (Tourist don't bring the waste back home with them).
Posted : November 23, 2007 2:42 pm
I would venture a guess that there is no move to recycle because there is no evidence that a local business would be interested in performing recycling. If a local businessperson were to come forward and seek a rebate on waste tax in proportion to the quantity of material that they subsequently exported as reclaimed material for reprocessing elsewhere, then such a businessperson might have a chance of some financial help from VIWMA.
Alternatively, a local businessperson might initiate on-island reprocessing of selected materials from the waste stream. For example, a person might reclaim plastics and process them for secondary use. Such reclaimed materials might be more price-competitive against existing imported materials once the tax is in place, because the tax would have already been paid on these materials by the original purchaser of the plastic.
I hope the waste tax brings about an increase in recycling and reuse among the local population. It should...
Posted : November 23, 2007 6:46 pm
I'd prefer that for once any tax scheme proposed by the government be assured that the tax will go for that purpose. Somehow the government's taxes are usually lining politician's pockets rather than the purpose intended.
It's expensive to start a recycling business which is probably why they're practically non-existent down here. I somehow think they'll slap the tax on & it will be the same old, same old with just more expensive trash everywhere.
Posted : November 23, 2007 8:45 pm
