I would add that Nathan and I know we do not have every piece of info about this. What we hope to achieve is to start a conversation about something that the citizens are angry about. I use to be opposed to what we have and now like it much better than what we had. Nathan on the other hand believes strongly that what we have is wrong for Gwinnett and what we had, though flawed, is far better. If we can agree on this, then as a county we should be able to come together and make something work. The best of both is what we were going for. It's not perfect and some will hate any plan we do. But since ten out of ten people I've spoken with has strong feelings about this issue, and wants it changed. I thought putting something more solution based than reasons we can't change would be helpful. If you have an opinion pro or con please tell us.

I'm happy with the present system for all the reasons named in the above article. My only suggestion is for the collection company to provide a cart for recycled materials instead of the small containers have enough problems with just getting the votes to the polls much less having the garbage companies compete for votes. Will they be allowed to campaign? Given the low turnout of voters, this is a non issue. I wonder if all the complaints came mainly from people who never had the service and created the trash problems that we use to have.

Hey George, I am a free market guy. I do not like the government forcing me to purchase a product or service from a private company. This is the same argument used by many in the Obamacare debate and they are correct too. Before the plan I was paying less than half of what I pay now, and for that lower rate, I received better service, yard debris removal, and large waste removal and overflow hauling as well. Under the new plan, I have poor customer service, much reduced services, and a higher bill too. It was a bad move for me and many of my neighbors...

Always remember, the government can produce a myriad of "good" reasons why you should let it control more of your lives. And, most all of them end up producing more "revenue" for the government to use to come up with more reasons to control your life.

That is a very libertarian response, and I agree. We should seek to get the government out of our lives and our wallets as often as possible.

I am happy to pay a litle more to remove trash trucks from my neighborhood 4 days a week. Prior to the change we had trash trucks rolling through all the time and trash cans lined up throughout the neighborhood any day of the week. I also like the fact that the county is forcing peopel to buy the service. You and I both know they were dumping it illegally before this. I don't get the yard waste service anymore, but as far as I can tell they haul away anything else as well as many more recyclables now. It would be nice to see gwinnett negotiate some lower rates. Peachtree Corners claims they are going to do a bettere job than the county, let's see what they come up with.

PTC
You sound like me. My life is much better with the plan we have rather than the old way. But two things are missing. Competition, and choice. Our idea was to work together on a solution that suited us both. Nathan hates the plan we have now. It was our belief that if two people that had totally different views could agree on a plan, then maybe the plan would be viable. We both know this is simplistic. The citizens of our county do not like the plan we have. Not because it doesn't work, because they did not choose it. So we wanted to start a conversation about solutions.

Just a FYI, illegal dumping hasn't been curtailed in the least. You can't force people to buy neatness and pride. I can take you to several places right now, where folks let their garbage pile up on their garage while the trash can sets outside. I am compiling a book of pictures of illegal dumping for later use---some of it on my friend's property. And, once building gets going good again, it's gonna get worse. You see, we don't have the right to use the power of government to eliminate the two things common to a free society---inconvenience and risk, yet, as people become more urbanized that is exactly what happens, and most often started by so-called "conservatives". What should be done is to use our entrepreneurial spirits to find a more convenient and less riskier way. I default once again to my comment above.

You're right Tommy. The heart and soul of people seldom change. My old friend David Gary (God rest his soul) always said "Them that's born bent, don't die straight". He was from Albany so say his quote with a country twang out of respect. And "conservative" is a term thrown around about many types of people. Most of them believe they would make great neighbors. The ones that do not keep up their homes are not.

I love this "only one truck one day a week" scenario. So, why doesn't Gwinnett County also limit landscapers to one day/one week service. Or delivery trucks, i.e. DHL, FedEx, etc. Why stop with just trash pickup?

My rates are higher than they were before, and service isn't nearly as good; never had recycling spilled and left in the street with my old carrier. And paying for it upfront for 18 months so the county could make a little interest off it? C'mon, this was one of the biggest ripoffs in history, created and put in play by Mr. Hunter's not lamented predecessor.

I can very easily take care of my trash needs without the government's intervention where it has no expertise and no place to begin with. And less dumping? Take a look at the lake in Hamilton Mill sometime. Or, better yet, Five Forks near Reagan Pkwy. There's always trash there. And it doesn't necessarily come from Gwinnetians. People from other counties dump over here all the time.

To make a poor pun, this whole plan is "rubbish."

The bottom line is the county has wanted to get in the garbage business for along time and rammed it through with enough smoke and mirrors that would make the county fair proud.

Our county-selected provider wants more now for yard-waste-only service than our subdivision paid for all pickup, including yard waste, recycling, etc. And, I could fire them if they did not provide good service. Oh, and I didn't run the risk of losing my home through a tax lien if I chose not to pay them.

"Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, "What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power." But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector."

Ronald Reagan

"There is always a well-known solution to every human problem--neat, plausible, and wrong." or For every problem, there is a neat, simple solution, and it is always wrong.
H. L. Mencken,

This whole mess has been created by one who resigned or face jail time, another one who is in the process of being convicted and one who admitted to taking a bribe. Now what does that tell you about this whole garbage mess that we have now. We were told that the recycle program may pay for some of the cost of the program. Connie Wiggins is a private business,501C3 non profit, that has not paid anything to reduce costs. cost has risen each year since this plan has started. The county is making $$$$ from collecting the taxes in advance by interest on these accounts. We should let the free enterprise system take over this market and we may see a reduction in cost. Our neighborhood contracted with a hauler and got more services with less costs. Prior to that my employer permitted his employees to use the company dumpster. the hauler we had was not one that is currently used by the county. It is a money game and we as citizens are the one providing the money.

Grayson solved the problems alluded to by giving the citizens free trash service without raising taxes. We also did competitive bidding. Maybe it's because we manage money better than anyone else?

We moved to Georgia in 2005, comino from Florida and Connecricut. I thought it odd that the trash service here was a separate service/bill to deal with. In those other states it is part of the property, along with some surcharge for the street lights. Don't know if the trash hauling was county employees or subcontracted, and I don't think it makes a dfference. They provided a basic service, and were good at it. Now several years later we have the same thing here. One less thing to worry about shopping/paying and they are doing their job.

I appreciate only one set of trucks coming through one day a week. Whomever thinks it's the same with UPS and FedEx trucks, shoud walk past a trash truck. Trash trucks are larger, heavier, and much, much stinkier. I didn't like my choice being taken away, but for the increase in recyclables, the service is better. And when I've complained directly to the hauler, I've gotten results. if not, I'd be complaining to my county commissioner.