Make Your Opinion Count - A Non-Partisan Political Action Organization

A political action group has been formed to address issues concerning St. Louis County's move to introduce a trash hauling program for county residents. They say it's time to move efforts to get the County’s bureaucracy to listen to the voices of our citizens into other arenas – public events, the media, and the courts.

The organization, Make Your Opinion Count, LLC, says there is still time for the County Council to respond to public opinion or face a wave of growing voter anger at the next elections.

The County turned down the thousands of survey respondents who asked for a chance to vote on the districting trash law in a Referendum. Now they are pushing the Council to quickly pass a new bill with even worseconditions which proposes that:

1) The bidding for THREE TO FIVE YEAR EXCLUSIVE contracts for trash service in the unincorporated parts of the County be done ALL on ONE day (Feb. 1, 2008). Sadly, the costs for a small hauler to submit a bid are so high they will be lucky to afford to bid on even one. So, if they lose that bid they will have little chance to stay in business.

2) Starting on April 15, 2008 all haulers serving any resident in the county (including all sub-divisions) must provide and BILL FOR recycling pickups and the other elements of the County’s Definition of Minimum Service – no matter what the resident desires.

3) Any home that does not agree to have the hauler which wins the bid for their district pick up their trash will be CITED by the County and PROSECUTED for nonparticipation. Haulers which do not win a district bid will be prohibited from serving any non-sub-division home in a district.

4) This ugly trash bill, of course, comes on top of the Council’s refusal to roll-back or at least reduce the County’s large increases in this year’s real estate assessments.

It is structured as a non-partisan action organization with several volunteers acting as the corporate officers. They are starting their bank account with a small balance which they hope will grow as contributions begin to come in. Their first goal is to raise at least $10,000 for surveys, mailings and volunteer activities.

To make a donation of any size, send in your check or money order which should be made out to "MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT, LLC". Mail to: P.O.Box 20161 - St. Louis, MO 63123. The group's telephone number is 314-352-6300 or e-mail to: stltrash@sbcglobal.net.

Make Your Opinion Count!