Dear editor,
It was heartening to read Nicole Bertram鈥檚 reasonable letter regarding Connor McDowell鈥檚 column about the changes to our curbside collection program.
It was also heartening and helpful to read Mayor Bob Wells鈥檚 overview of the program, which outlined the dangers, problems and issues of the wrong materials being put in the wrong bins - 鈥渃ross contamination鈥� in waste management speak.
What was not heartening was reading a second column by Mr. McDowell where he not only persisted in putting forth opinion based on little or no facts, but doubled down on his views on potential enforcement of the curbside collection program by likening it to a recent council decision not to provide a tax exemption to a church wishing to showcase a bigoted speaker.
Even when a journalist is writing an 鈥榦pinion鈥� column, there should still be a responsibility to make that opinion based on fact, and not just cynicism. Critical writing isn鈥檛 just criticism; analytical thought requires analysis. And 鈥渞esearch鈥� based on little more than 鈥淚鈥檒l bet that鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to happen鈥� is useless; it鈥檚 not even good conversation.
From Mr. McDowell鈥檚 comments, I鈥檓 guessing he鈥檚 never had any experience with curbside collection in the many B.C. municipalities that have not only had automated pickup for years, but also have systems of checks and balances to make sure that the right material goes in the right place.
It鈥檚 not just about 鈥済arbage鈥�, although Mr. McDowell seems fixated on that; it鈥檚 about keeping things from going unnecessarily into our landfills, thereby not only being better environmentally but also prolonging the life of a landfill which means taxpayers don鈥檛 have to fund new land and new landfill creation as often. We will get information about what goes where (and we have already received a lot of information on that). If we make a mistake, then that鈥檚 when the education/reminders/warnings step in. To help us know better. And if we know better and persist in not doing better, then there would be penalties. As there should be, and as there are with every bylaw and law in the country.
No local government wants to be 鈥済oing through our garbage,鈥� for heaven鈥檚 sake. They all just want us to do that right thing - and I would think we would want to do it too: be part of the solution, not continue to be part of a problem. I鈥檓 not sure why humans - or at least some humans - automatically assume that any change is going to be bad. And that any government or corporate program isn鈥檛 going to work. For the vast majority of us in the Comox Valley the vast majority of the time our lights and power work, our water comes out of our taps, our sewer systems take our waste away, our roads are useable and our services (libraries, recreation centres, parks, and more) are well-used. Those are all 鈥済overnment鈥� programs, and we enjoy them every day. When a change or an improvement is made to one of them, it鈥檚 not just on a whim. It would be so much more beneficial if we would not immediately jump to a preconceived negative position and, instead, see how we can work with the plan to make it the best it can be.
Leigh Carter, Courtenay
