As many of you homeowners know, there was an ordinance passed in San Diego back in 1919 that ensured we would not be charged for trash pickup. Now everyone know's it is not really free, as the money from the general fund pays for this service, but San Diego is now looking for homeowners to start picking up part of the bill as costs mount.

I'm not much for new taxes, but when it comes to paying for trash, I'm all for it. I would gladly pay a prorated fee for how much I throw away. Maybe that's because I recycle as much as possible already and throw away very little. If residents were forced to think about how much money they spend throwing away easily recycleable materials, many more would likely choose to recycle. Some would not until it hit them in the pocketbook hard enough, but it would be a good start.

If there's no financial incentive for people to avoid throwing away anything and everything, why should they be bothered to recycle? A trip with a full truck load of just about anything non toxic can go into the Miramar landfill for a mere $12. In Spokane, WA, where they have more land than we certainly do down here to create landfills, taking a load to the county way station costs $98 per ton!

Do you think people in Spokane think a little bit more about what they throw away and what they recycle? Why then are we so short sighted in San Diego where raw land is at a premium?

Free garbage collection is not an entitlement. It's an express ticket to a less desirable future.