WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH

Fife Council have once again taken bumbling ineptitude to new levels. It was bad enough when the normal/grey bin collections went from weekly to fortnightly, now it seems some birdbrain at the Council wants to change them to monthly collections!

There's an article about it in the Depress and I've added my comments (see The Cat). I've also written to Mike Rumney who is one of four local councillors who are supposed to represent my area and copied the other three into it* (* They're as much use as a roof rack on a helicopter but I feel they should all know the level of feeling about this latest piece of stupidity. Mike's the only one who at least looks as if he's trying get stuff done. The problem is that Labour is now in the minority and he faces an uphill battle.) I also copied it to the Dunfermline Press (even though they hate me - I once took them to the Press Complaints Commission) and Kevin Keane at the BBC, who's a good spud.

Here's what I said to Mike:

"I've already expressed my disgust at the plans for a monthly bin collection on the Dunfermline Press website but I thought I would let you know personally my thoughts on what is an emotive issue.

As well as the three bins we already have, my family and I, at our own expense, have bins for plastic bottles, tins/cans, glass bottles and compost. With the obvious exception of the latter, we then empty these receptacles ourselves at the local facilities. It was bad enough when we went from a weekly to a fortnightly collection but this is a step too far. If Fife Council isn't meeting its targets in terms of waste management/recycling then they need to be targeting those people who aren't doing their bit, rather than those who do take the time and effort. Someone more cynical than me might suggest that this is actually nothing more than a cost-cutting exercise. People are fed up with performing tasks that the Council should be doing. What do we pay our Council Tax for? And will we get a reduction for doing the Council's work for them?

Despite all the recycling we already do our grey bin is still full every fortnight. If we move to a monthly collection many people's bins will be too full and, because the lids won't close, won't be emptied and the knock-on effect of streets full of rubbish (not to mention cats, birds and rats) doesn't bear thinking about. People are happy to do their bit to a certain extent but if Fife Council continues to delegate their responsibilities to their constituents then people will eventually say "enough is enough" and take matters into their own hands. Don't be surprised if people decide to dump their rubbish at Fife Council HQ in protest.

In more ways than one, this pilot plan is a complete mess and mustn't be allowed to succeed."

I feel a campaign coming on...