Trash fee repeal going to Malden voters

FRANKLY, I THINK THAT HAS BECOME A BURDENT ON RESIDENTS OF MALDEN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT, YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT IS EXACTLY GOING ON WITH THE REVENUES COMING FROM THAT TAX?
EVERETT, THE NEXT DOOR TOWN, GIVES A RECYCLE CAN WHERE THEY CAN SORT OUT PAPERS AND CANS. THEY JUST NEED TO DUMP IN THE RESPECTIVE HOLE AND THAT IS IT. MALDEN HAS NO SUCH THINGS.
ALSO, THE CITY IS NOT REALLY ATTRACTIVE TO ITS RESIDENTS. MALDEN RIVER COULD BE A PLACE LIKE CHARLES RIVER IN CAMBRIDGE AND BOSTON. BUT, NOTHING HAS REALLY BEEN DONE ABOUT THAT.
ALSO, THEY HAVE AN EMPTY PORTION OF LAND THAT RUNS FROM REVERE TO MALDEN SQUARE THAT COULD BE USED AS A RUNNING TRAIL. RIGHT NOW, IT IS EMPTY.
I THINK THIS TAX NEEDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPEALED SINCE ITS BIRTH.
I HAVE NEVER VOTED IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. THIS TIME, I WILL DO IT.

Hooray for Bob Miller and his Group!!! I think that this is the first time that anyone has ever stood up to the Mayor For Life and his council. You should all be proud of yourselves! It must have killed the "Tax Trash Seven" to have to vote to put this on the ballet. The only reason that they probably voted for it is because they have been taken a beaten in the press lately and because they know that others are encouraging people not to vote for them again in November. Glad that they did the right thing, finally, by voting to put this on the ballet, but I still will not vote for any of them. Malden needs a clean slate in City Hall.

Yes so so true more scaretatics but awefull strange that trash pickup has never ever been put out for bid like it supposed to. Everett is doing great and rewarding the citizens for recycling so why cant we use Capitol Disposal. Are we stuck with one good buddy vendor?? Not Good. Bad practice..

maldenresidentforlife-------we thank you as we all win a Democracy when our voices are heard by our elected officials. As I like to write and say that we agree to disagree and WE get the opportunity to either eliminate it with a yes vote or keep it with a no.

Thanks again, and our hope is that our elected officials will never forget to poll, engage, contact and notify us first when they want to take money out of our pocketbooks.

Please vote on November 3, 2009 and bring a few registered voters with you---spread the word.,...please.......

I've lived in Malden almost 5 years, and I am happy to "pay as I throw". I have seen a huge increase in recycling from my neighbors. I will also show up to vote in the next municipal election, but to vote "yes" for pay-as-you-throw. The way I see it, you pay one way or the other.... they either raise my property taxes or I pay for the (less than one) bag of garbage a week our house produces. As for the idea that Malden needs a clean slate, I think the same could be said for most towns... but if you want change, you have to step up and stop complaining. Run for City Council , stand up to the "Mayor for Life" and made a difference, or be quiet.

Be happy you that you even have trash pickup. Here, in Needham, not only are you required to buy similarly priced trash bags, but you have to haul them to the dump yourself where you are charged a yearly fee of $60. Oh, and our average property tax is bill is almost 2.5 times that of Malden's for similar houses (to West Malden at least) and fewer services (excluding, of course, Needham's notoriously hyperactive Police Department)

resident of Malden all my life and agree with the pay as you throw. I live on the west side and see way more recycling going on. Malden has much larger issues to work on. Sorry but $2 bucks a week is a drop in the bucket; those in need (and those scamming) are getting subsidized on all sorts of things in Malden. will vote to keep the pay as you throw. for the idiots who think dumping stuff on the side of the road is a statement... well it is only a statement of who you are.

See itisntatax, we're fair and reasonable people and your vote of "yes" (as I state in my prior post) will eliminate it. I believe you'd want to vote no to keep it? Still, bring all your friends and friends from Malden on November 3, 2009 to have your voice be heard---you'd hate it if it won and you didn't vote----we all win as democracy won in our city. I'd run but I can't stand people that start campaigns like this and do it to get elected. It's called being self serving and we have too many of these types of candidates and elected officials in all levels of government. Besides, I gave my word to people that I wouldn't run and that still matters to me.

As far as "complaining" we've been to every city council meeting this year. Offer solutions when asked and offered a compromise to the PAYT. See most people don't like the way it was implemented by the City. And it's really a choice (that they didn't get last year) to decide if it was the right way to do it. With input from the community..first...if you support the PAYT the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has guidelines that state to eliminate the perception of a tax-consult the community-first....

Needham resident you're not Mike Sheehan...right? I knew he moved to Natick, Norwood or Needham. If you are...thanks for the way you champion the PAYT through the Council last year....if not I apologize for asking.....maybe your suggestions would have been heard by the public and adopted. Maybe the PAYT was the correct program for us....but, we had the right to make that choice.

The City had the PAYT in place with the commercial businesses since 2000. Why didn't that get discussed by the Council and out to the media last year? I was writing letters to the editor and no where did I see the PAYT....good night and be well.

A few points:
This article erroneously stated that boxes were 10 dollars. They are 10 dollars for TEN 13-gallon trashbags and those were not produced at the start of this program. The boxes we buy are 20 dollars for 10 33-gal trash bags.

itsnttax: Kudos to you. We put out two very full recycling bins per week and at least two 33-gallon bags because you can't recycle dirty diapers. So sorry. I'll be there voting to repeal that tax in November. Property taxes in Malden are comparatively low - and even the renters absorb the costs of that. So, if you're happy being double-taxed, that's wonderful. Most residents are not.

Needham resident - What services in Malden are you talking about?! Our immaculately maintained roads? Our swift to react police chief? Our outstanding youth programs?

Malden has some good things going for it, but this mayor isn't one of them. Perhaps he would rather collect the 1.5 million in back rent owed to the city from a non-rpofit organization who simply decided that they didn't need to pay rent for 8 years than lay people off? No, that doesn't seem to be the case. Instead of taking accountability for his fiscal missteps over the years, he'd rather just impose a new tax without putting it to the vote and leave things as they are.

And FWIW, PAYT hasn't bridged the budget gap. It was supposed to fill a 2M dollar shortfall and thus far has only generated 1.3. It's not just because people are recycling more either - many residents are bringing their trash over town lines and dumping it.

I'm happy that this is on the voting block. It's about d**n time.

As a condo dweller, we get screwed regardless of the trash pick up scheme. So I'm all for pay as you go. Don't Repeal.

What is the population of Malden? Why does it need 14,000 votes in favor if there is usually 6,000 voters. Sounds like they try to make it unusually hard for voters to get referendums passed.

Have to say, when they introduced "pay as you throw", I was OUTRAGED. Another attempt to stick it to residents. Even signed the petition to have it repealed. Have to admit, after half a year, I have found that I like it. My building, which used to not recycle, now fills two huge trash barrels with either paper or mixed, and at most two bags of non-recyclables.
The City still has to do something about people dumping trash on other people's property, and the "can ladies" who mix the recyclables, but it hasn't been as bad as I thought.

I agree that more people are recycling, but have you tried to get new recycling bins? This is so fustrating! ..the city yard is only open from 8-4 M-F HELLO we also work and the city won't assist, we should have the ablility to call and request new bins and not have pay another 5 bucks to get one!!
Now that you'd got me on a roll...As for taxes, I pay a hell of alot of money every year (since 1951 family moved here) and still continue to complaint about the terrible snow removal, the zero maintenance of city trees, and the poor conditions of the parks.
The foreclosure houses in my area are being left to rot and have become cat/mice havens (Drive down Shawmut ST) this is a sin. Mayor Howard are you paying attention?? Maybe we should call the TV stations again, the best place to live? I am ashamed of what has happen in our city...yes I will be voting for repeal and removel of most in the city hall!!

J-------then vote on November 3, 2009 to keep it! We want you to voice your opinion, hope to see you there...

Trash fees are the epitome of fairness...people that are careful not to produce extra waste don't end up subsidizing those that are wasteful. We've all been able to turn a blind eye to the consequences of all the trash we create. Time to get real.

"Trash fees are the epitome of fairness ..."

I agree! Why should I -- who uses far less trash -- have to pay for these people who throw everyting out (including the kitchen sink) in their trash.

I'm no environmental wack job, but I like pay-as-you-throw.

We are all heading for pay-as-you-throw. It just makes sense.

I personally cannot stand the pay as you throw program, I am a landlady of a 4 family house and have tenants that refuse to buy the bags so therefore there trash has been piling up in their apt and that is just adding to our mice problem!!! Needless to say we are trying to evict them but that is another headache as they had a baby since they moved in. Also we also have some lovely "can ladies" that come down our street as well. You should have seen the trash they dumped out all over my sidewalk last night or this morning to get the bag. Its ridiculous!

Malden's PAYT program should have included free or greatly reduced compost bins and information on how to compost so people could reduce their garbage if they are going to make people pay to throw.
I have had people dump their trash (NOT in the PAYT bag) on my sidewalk! I had to call the city remove it! My neighbor piles his garbage in NON-PAYT bags on the side of his house for weeks (had to call the city. Afraid of rats and raccoons) and also into the back his pickup and who knows what he does with it? People are illegally dumping and this not the time to be burdening people to pay for trash removal. Please, will someone run for mayor and I will for free volunteer to help you!!!!

Whine whine whine....this is good leverage to get folks to think about what they throw away and recycle more. I understand that recycling has increased dramatically. No one likes to pay taxes but the fact of the matter is that someone has to pay and this is a fair way to pay for these services. Would increased property taxes be better? Either way you will pay. Trash removal is not free. I understand that those who cannot afford to pay are subsidized so what's the beef?
Think about the bigger picture rather than narrow personal needs.

I have to say that I agree with the posters who say they were prepared not to like the pay as you throw program, but ended up liking it after all and will vote to retain it. But I also agree with those who ask where all the money goes? I live in the West End, and our sidewalks are cracked and the roads are in terrible shape. How about another trash barrel or two at Fellsmere Pond so this pretty area will have less litter?
And to those who complain about the cost of the bags - recycle, recycle, recycle - $20.00 for a box of bags that should last a month is still better than paying for private service.

For those who like PAYT I think you are correct it does work and is good for the environment and people who throw less pay less. But please answer why we should have to pay for this now that it was in our taxes already. The only reason it was done was to be able to spend more money because the City couldn't control its costs. The environment and recyling had nothing at all to do with it. It was all about raising more money. In other words just a sneaky way to tax more. If the same Council did this and cut the taxes by whatever was raised in revenue and kept the savings then it would have been OK and a cost saving measure. Sooner or later they are coming back to you to raise the trash tax count on it. Next up the local Meals Tax. This way you get nickeled and dimed and never know how much you are really paying. Just like the state there will be a fee for everything but your regular taxes will continue to climb.

I thank all of you for voicing your opinions.......recycle efforts of the city are great! And our City should have given us the opportunity to voice our opinion on it-----last spring! We'd actually have discussions like this and then a program more of us had a chance to review WOULD have been picked by us. That's how it works in a democracy, right? I know my carbon footprint, going to acquire a solar recharger for my gadgets, pay a carbon offset and recycle as much as I can-----my waste however that would go into a tax bag goes elsewhere and that's the opt out part of PAYT.

All of the cities around Malden to the best of my knowledge don't use the PAYT.

One more comment---it looks like the question will be yes to eliminate and no to keep it.....

An initiative petition requires 1/3 of the registered voters in Malden to appear and that many to approve it. So if 27000 people as of 10/10 are registered then 9,000 must appear and that many must vote to eliminate it! So 8,999 vote yes 1 no---------the no wins. I am not fooling around with this number. So, I'd suggest that everyone comes to vote whether you like it or not...and remember we had more than enough signatures to have a special electon earlier in the year---but----that would have cost a few more people their jobs.......we even offer the city a compromise on it and they refuse....tough decision to make---save environment and back a rather inartful implementation of the PAYT or eliminate it and have the general fund pay for it because its in our taxes.

Sorry about my spellling error-----------special election instead of electon.....

So, bottomline---bring your neighbors, friends and family if they're registered of Malden Voters and remember that date-------November 3, 2009!

Amazing how the amount of trash I see on the sidewalk on collection days in Malden has decreased quite significantly now that you have to pay for it. Say what you want about the fee but its working. Half the people complaining are probably out of town landlords that don't like the fact that they can't use Malden as their personal dumping ground anymore now that their own suburban towns have stricter collection rules. The Malden trash bags are huge and the cost for the amount of trash you can throw out is minimal. However with that being said I agree with the repeal. Stop making people pay for their trash per bag and let the city tax each household a fixed $300 per year. Things could be worse - stop your whining.

Stopyourwhining we're not against recycling efforts of the city. You write it's a fee, no it's a tax to balance a budget. When it goes into the Enterprise Fund it becomes self sufficient. The bags represent alot more that the money. We've proven that fact. So, make sure you appear on November 3, 2009 and vote either no to keep it or yes to eliminate it. I'm so glad that the Boston Globe starts this site as it's funny how many more people are posting here....

Wow, hard to believe that so many people like paying to have their trash removed. For those who think their property taxes will go up more if they eliminate the pay as you throw you are WRONG. Check your property tax bills for the last 10 years they have gone up by 2 1/2 percent ( This is the maximum under state law called Prop 2 1/2 ). Yes, people are recycling more, that's good, the bad it was implemented by the King and his Court without any input from it citizens, or should I say servants. As I said before Malden does'nt have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.

This discussion is fantastic! Too bad we didn't have a chance for this a year or more ago. To the people who champion the cause for recycling, please read my blog at: http://maldentax.blogspot.com/2009/05/just-factsand-truth-about-payt.html and you will see we are on the same page.

The Malden Taxpayers For Accountability are demanding just that: Accountability in our elected officials and those who work for US. We want to know where our money is and what is it being spent on. The trash tax is an example of them sneaking a tax on us instead of doing the hard work of reducing expenses and eliminating waste. Recycling has reduced our expenses and we are all for that!

Imagine, we have a mayor who, unless someone prints this out for him, will never see any of our posts or online stories! He has to depend on others to decide what content should be printed out for him to read! Instead of using email as a tool, he summons people up to the penthouse at 200 Pleasant St. for a meeting! How much time, effort and money do each of those face-to-face meetings cost? Ridiculous in this day and age for a mayor of a city of 55,000+ people with a budget of $130+ million dollars not to have a computer for any reason and doesn't have a clue how to turn one on!!! No wonder he is so out of touch with his constituents. Time to embrace technology, dinosaurs, and make it work for us to streamline our operations instead of wasting resources.

The MTFA submitted several suggestions to the Efficiency Committee--how many of them, along with the Committee's own suggestions will see daylight with this Mayor? That's what people should be upset with!

Does anyone know how much it cost the city for these bags? I'm just wondering if the PAYT program is an efficient way of collecting money. I.E. How much does it cost the city to produce these bags vs. what they actually collect? Also, did the city have a competitve bid for the company that produces these trash bags?

I guess the next thing people will want to do is pay their water bill. Then their electric, followed by their phone and then their groceries. Finally, the town will pay for your heating/oil bill.

No one thinks that paying for these ablove services is odd, since you pay for what you use. Yet Massachusetts residents somehow think they have some God-given right to throw out as much garbage as they please. PAYT lowers taxes (town removes trash removal from the budget), makes it a fee-based service like others mentioned above, and usually results in a big "win" for recycling programs.

Plus you get weekly recycling, I mean, really, people, you throw the recyclables in the bin and they get taken away. The town I live in has recycling every other week and PAYT every week. I wish the recycling was every week, but somehow I get by.

On some level, it would be GREAT if towns would just say "We are OUT of the trash business, it's not worth the hassle. Everyone contract with your own private hauler or pay at the dump -- like pretty much everywhere else in the nation". Then you can have the thrill of higher garbage removal fees and a different company's garbage truck coming by every day of the week. But the town can cut it completely out of the budget and the competition would let residents pay what they wanted for the level of service they wanted. And if you wanted to haul it yourself, you could do so -- but it would become Someone Else's Problem.

This should of been on the ballot for last year! Shame on the city officials. Why do the taxpayers always have to pay more for everything? I think the mayor and the concillors forget that they are working for us and not against us.

I refuse to buy the trash tax bags but I do love recycling!

What's going to happen next year if things are so bad now?

Time for a change! VOTE 11/03/09

K-------------you know your argument makes alot of sense if we're living in Fitchburg, Andover, Framingham, Everett, Revere, Stoneham, Wintrop and any other city that has this program or any other. But, the one difference from them and us? They had a chance to let the voters have their say and voice their opinion before they implement it. That's what the dilema seems to be and we advocate for this and why it's on the ballot for people to VOTE -November 3, 2009.

We've offered compromises and solutions as we don't want recycling efforts to dimenish. Just commonsense and good government that will communicate with us and eliminate any perception of a tax.

There's also money in the budget to cover this (a hybrid plan could be implemented) and no one would lose their job in the City....but until we see audits of the accounts that have warranted this past year Boston Globe investigative reports and Middlesex DA investigations--why do we believe City Hall? Try and dispute these facts and I'd be very curious to read your response. Thanks.....

"K" and others its not the point of who should pay for the trash. The point is that for a hundred years it was in your taxes. Then last year they take trash out and start charging you for it. 2.5 Million in budget altho don't think they got that. Whatever they got without reducing the City's overall taxes by was an additional tax increase.
Hypothetically since I never use the Library we should put a toll at the door and those who use it should pay and those who don't shoudn't. This is a truly legitimate argument but it is not how things have worked. In fact I like the Library idea. Take the cost to run the Library and then divide it by visits and that is what it costs per visit. Or when you go up to request a book you have to pay. We will call this RFBF short for Request for Book Fee. So if it costs a million to run the Library next year they can collect it on fees. Of course they shouldn't reduce your property taxes as this new "revenue enhancer" as they like to call them will allow them to keep the status quo in the rest of the govt. with a freed up cool million. Perhaps this help you and others see the point?

llbean26---prices are from a recognized State of Massachusetts vendor and I havn't looked them up in awhile but my notes and blog state .11-.14 for the smaller bag and .24 -.27 for the largest one. These prices don't include a bulf buy---I can't remember if this price was off that level and set up fees - like a screen for the bag to print it. Would also assume shipping and handling charges would apply.

stopyourwhining, your right there is less trash around on trash day. I like the trash tax because it's a tax that I will never ever have to pay as I bring my trash to work with me. I do recycle and make sure all of it is picked up by the city weekly. The best of both worlds for me but not too fair for everyone as a whole. I think you are wrong about all the landlords that are whining. Over 5000 citizens signed the petition to repeal. Vote yes or no but vote! This is what this whole petition process is for. A tax is a tax is a tax and the payt is just that. I pay my taxes on time everytime. I have come to not expect too much in return concerning services though.
I'll burn the twenty bucks before I ever buy a payt bag.
See you at the poles!
Dan

What about the JRM contract?
When is it up? Can they re-negotiate?
Anybody know?
Thanks BM

Linda, I grew up in Ward 3 and not everyone fits your stereotype that lives in this city. Also, we're not against recycling and really oppose the way it was mandated without our say. You know in a Democracy we all should be heard. One more comment it's a silent override of proposition 2 1/2 and the City need to have a city wide vote on something like this......show up on November 3. 2009 and VOTE no to keep it---bring your friends, family and neighbors from Malden and exercise your right to vote to keep it. FYI we have thousands of signatures and contact a few people each week and their still on board to vote....thanks for your opinion and again show up....but since it's only two bucks pick up that bag of trash and get it into a blue one and toss it out. You can afford it, right?

I really appreciated the comment posted by LEFTTOWN, and I agree. IF NORMAL EVERY DAY PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE THE OPTION OF BUDGETING THEIR FINANCES----SO SHOULD THE TOWN AND ITS OFFICIALS THAT ARE APPOINTED TO THESE MATTERS--IN FACT, THEY SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO DO SO, AND NOT IN A HAP-HAZARDLY WAY EITHER! I'm all for recycling, but if we're going to be mandated by law to pay for the disposal of our trash, for the time being, why not take it a step further and, as town officials with some measure of authority, demand that those designers who come up with such programs for the town---do so in A MORE EFFICIENT WAY--so as not to create an extra burden on residents of the town--whom are already cash-strapped because of the dire state that the economy has been in. I mean really, can we get a break from somewhere?

Just think, for a moment about all those residents who are in the "low-income" category and those of us who constantly have to worry about whether or not we'll be able to meet our basic needs for the month or if we'll still have a roof over our heads, come the first of next month!
What about all the other expenses which have increased in price that we all have to contend on a daily basis--for example: PRICES @ THE GROCERY STORE; FARE- INCREASES FROM THE MBTA; UTILITY BILLS THAT MUST BE PAID, BUT WHICH ARE NOT GETTING ANY CHEAPER; AND HOW ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING TO WAGE RATIO---IT'S SO BAD IN THIS STATE THAT EVEN HIGH PAID DOCTORS ARE MOVING OUT!
Let's not forget about the town's elderly residents whom also live on a low or fixed income, and may even live alone with no transportation of their own---IS IT FAIR TO THEM!
Look, this may seem at first to be just another complaint, but quite honestly---THIS IS A PETITION TO ALL THOSE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE POSITIVE and FAIR CHANGES IN THE WAY LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES GET THINGS DONE.
Yes, no one can get around the fact that we are in a much tougher economy right now---but why not put our idiosyncrasies and our tendancies toward complacency in general, aside for one moment and let everyone start taking responsibility where they are supposed to! If EVERYONE looked at where they could stop spending so much money--wastefully--then perhaps many of us wouldn't have to deal with such SUPERFLUOUS burdens all the time.

Yes, it's true that those in need and the ones that are scamming get subsidized bags. What about the struggling family that both parents are working just to have ends meet? They are trying to just put food on the table and clothes on their children's backs? They cannot afford to buy the bags! WE ALREADY PAY OUR TAXES! Don't we? Malden city government does not spend wisely and that's why they need more money.

Alleuia!!! FINALLY - "WE THE PEOPLE" - have not been forgotten - AND WILL HAVE OUT SAY - AND REMIND POLITICIANS WHO THEY WORK FOR. Every dollar counts these days, and we are not living in a DICTATORSHIP COUNTRY WHERE "WE THE PEOPLE" DON'T HAVE A VOICE - let WE THE PEOPLE decide WHERE OUR OWN $$$ SERVES US BEST - NOT GOVERNMENT!!!!

Just remember......the bags now cost $1 and $2. Are you, the taxpayer, ready for an increase next year? It could undoubtedly happen if you vote for PAYT to keep it in place. Shame that you do not to see the original intent or reason to vote against it. They put this program in place without any consideration or approval by the residents of Malden. This was just lamb-basted into the next budget year to generate revenue. Your Mayor or city councillors did not put this out to the residents. Nevertheless at the end of their June session, it was recommended to put the plan in place and approved that night. They held 2 General Public meetings in August to inform the public, and it was implemented in October. I want to know if your Ward Councilor came to you and asked if you wanted this prior to its implementation? HELLO - Did anyone know of this PAYT before the plan's approval? I just want to say, wherever you live, I would think your city representative would like to hear your concerns before he or she leaps onto the band wagon of the Mayor's recommendation. Tell me please what you would do....if your house sat under a street light which added more protection against night activity of theft, murder, or arson. What if the City suggested to impose (starting today) you pay higher taxes than anyone else on your street because the city street light is in front of your house. And you did not know this was happening until you saw the next tax bill with a letter enclosed to advise you. I suppose you would say that you should pay more and just leave it at that. Or because your house is next to a fire hydrant, you will pay a higher amount than anyone else for having it there. Or you have two cars out on the street and they all don't fit in your driveway and you have to pay a tax to park them on the street. Don't you get it? You are being told to pay a tax, an additional tax that is over and above Proposition 2 1/2. The purpose of having the question put on the ballot is to give back to the Malden residents the freedom of choice. There are other plans that Malden can consider and we might want to adopt another plan instead. So people.....please VOTE on 11-03-2009 to Repeal/Eliminate/Rescind the PAYT program. Bob and his group have been doing a fine job going to the City Council meetings weekly and listening to all the budget cuts and additional spending, just to see and have a little more transparency of those tax dollars at work for us! They've made quite a presence at City Hall and Malden's been in the news frequently with this Blue Trash Bag TAX. Wouldn't it be great that the citizens of Malden got to claim glory....just like the Tea Tax of 1775!

I fully support PAYT. When I first moved to Malden, five years ago, my husband and I were the only house on our block who recycled. I couldn't believe it. Let's face it--too many people don't give a damn and PAYT is effective at getting people to recycle. If you don' t like it, BUY LESS STUFF, COMPOST, RECYCLE, PUT A DISPOSAL IN YOUR SINK and don't force me to pay for your wasteful lifestyle through an increase in my taxes. PAYT is inherently fair because payment rendered is proportional to services used.

Now if we could get the city to ticket people for leaving their CRT televisions on the sidewalks (waiting for a pick up that will never happen), we'd be all set.

IF "WE THE PEOPLE BORN & BRED IN MALDEN" FIND OUT THAT THIS "P.A.Y.T." IDEA/SUGGESTION CAME FROM AN OUTSIDER WHO HAD NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN CHECK OUT EVERY MALDONIAN'S TRASH & COMPARE IT TO THEIRS TO MAKE A GRAND STAND REWARDING INTRODUCTION FOR THEMSELVES TO THE "TRASH SIX" - THERE'S GONNA BE A FURY OF "TEA BAGS TO PAY" COME JUDGEMENT DAY!!!!! ON NOVEMBER 3RD - WE THE PEOPLE WILL VOTE TO DECIDE WHAT'S BEST FOR OURSELVES & OUR NEIGHBORS - AND WHATEVER THE OUTCOME, AT LEAST "WE THE PEOPLE" HAD A SAY AND NOT SOME SNOT-NOSED GERANIAM GARDEN BETTER THAN YOURS TYPE OF PERSON!

In response to ginafly, as I mentioned before, those who hold a position of authority over such matters for the town should not be exempt from taking full responsibility themselves, as well as the residents of the town. This should include comprehensive planning and decision-making and SHOULD NOT give the town's elected officials unbridled authority to just do whatever they want without FULL REGARD FOR ALL TOWN RESIDENTS, when they notice that the town is low on funds.
IT'S GOOD TO RECYCLE, but that should also mean that any implementation of such programs for the town SHOULD ALWAYS UNEQUIVOCALLY CONSIDER THOSE WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS WHICH CANNOT BE IGNORED --- SUCH AS ELDERLY LOW-INCOME AND OTHER MINORITY RESIDENTS. Yes, nobody is perfect, but LETS NOT FORGET --- COMPLACENCY WITH SUCH MATTERS HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN MAY'BE SOME INDIVIDUALS WOULD LIKE TO ADMIT --- Especially, if it requires them to walk straight back to the drawing-board, so to speak, and use to full capacity the roughly 8% or so of our brains that the experts say we have.
CAN WE REALLY TELL THE OLD LADY ACROSS THE STREET THAT SHE HAS TO VISIT THE DPW EVERYDAY FOR ITEMS THAT SHOULD BE RECYCLED, WHICH CANNOT GET PICKED UP BY THE TOWN UNLESS SHE PAYS FOR THE REMAOVAL ON TOP OF THE MONEY ALREADY BEING DISPENSED JUST TO GET RID OF HER REGULAR GARBAGE. Can we really expect such persons whom already have diffuclty supporting their basic needs that now they have to go broke to install a garbage- disposal --- HERE'S AN IDEA: How about actually addressing those concerns first and let every other wealthy individual pay more for these services.
HOW ELSE ARE WE GOING TO FIX THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS LOCALLY AS WELL AS GLOBALLY, IF WE CONTINUE TO EXPECT THOSE OF US WHO REALLY CAN'T AFFORD THE ADDED EXPENSE TO SIMPLY PAY ANYWAY.
What about the fact that major corporations are now being held accountable for outlandish spending and rediculously unfair compensations to individuals simply because they hold a certain level of office. LETS NOT STOP THERE SHALL WE!
COME ON, IF WERE GOING TO EXPECT ONE GROUP OF PERSONS TO DO RIGHT THING, THEN CERTAINLY THAT SHOULD BE THE CASE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD!! --- Or should we just simply tell everyone that they just have to grin and bear it like everyone else --- HAS NOT THIS SAME MENTAL ATTITUDE GONE ON LONG ENOUGH THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY, FOR US TO NOT HAVE LEARNED FROM THESE MISTAKES AND OUR OWN SELFISH TENDENCIES TOWARD BEING COMPLACENT, THAT WE MAY ACTUALLY DO WHAT IS RIGHT-- PERIOD?!
IS THIS NOT THE LONG ANTICIPATED GENERATION OF CHANGING THINGS FOR THE BETTER THAT WE'VE HOPED FOR or should we continue to rest on our laurels because it simply does not directly effect us.
In fact, is that not the very reason why we, as humans in general, continue to have these problems. For example, how about that physicist who studies the weather and predict's large events way in advance, whom just seems to think that just because we may be in a period of "global-cooling" rather than "global-warming" , that humans are not responsible for the environment. MOST CERTAINLY WE ARE! --- FOR EVERYTHING WE DO IN LIFE HAS A CONSEQUENCE--- WETHER IT IS GOOD OR BAD. IN FACT, AS ONE WELL KNOWN SCIENTIST ONCE SAID, "FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS AN EQUAL OR OPPOSITE REACTION."
And isn't that true today, when we turn on the news an see things like these extreme weather events happening unlike ever before! Or how about the acres of land that burned out west BECAUSE THEY WERE SET BY AN ARSON!
SHOULD WE FORGET TOO ABOUT THE FRAGILE ECO-SYSTEM OF THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES, WHICH FOR A FACT, IS THE CORNER-STONE OF THE FOUNDATION OF OUR ENTIRE EARTH'S ECO-SYTEM. IF THIS WERE EVER DESTROYED COMPLETELY WE WOULD, REALLY BE IN TROUBLE!
Really, then, what matters is our attitude towards these things, for if we just simply keep putting things off because we don't see any imediate danger, how can we really be ready for the future?!

Amen, tcarb! You have nailed the coffin!

The trash bil has been a burden on both residents and small business.
There are many small business owners that are paying high taxes with no city services.
City government has become arrogant and ignored the wil of the people.