It seems the Lewiston City Council wants to force residents to pay $2 per bag for trash pick-up. That is on top of eliminating the annual bulk trash haul away, and a fee of $20 per year for a dump pass.
Assuming two bags of trash per week, with fees, that is $228 per year. That amounts to 1.4 percent of the total annual income for a single person living at 140 percent of the federal poverty level. If someone making $75,000 were to pay 1.4 percent of their income for trash disposal, it would be $1,050.
One has to wonder how long it will take those beautiful downtown vacant lots to fill with trash left there by poorer residents who face the conundrum — trash bags or food. More blight and fire hazards — just what we need in this city.
Once again, Lewiston officials find it convenient to solve the city’s fiscal woes on the backs of those least able to afford it. Many of our illustrious council members apparently think everyone on a fixed income is a work-shy drug addict, when in fact most are senior citizens or the disabled on Social Security.
Ward 7 Councilor Mike Lachance is at least willing to withhold judgment pending hearings. In the meantime, residents need to attend the hearings and speak up.
If all else fails, I will start a petition drive to confront, head-on, this mean-spirited and cynical attempt to steal from those least able to afford it to fill Lewiston’s budgetary holes.
Andrew Hall, Lewiston
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