Letter to the editor:

County should play hardball with trash hauler

Mary Beam, Las Vegas

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 | 2:03 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s Sunday story about Republic Services trying to wriggle out of the deal it agreed to, I am astonished. Republic’s inability to stick with a deal is totally appalling.

That the Clark County Commission would even consider the company’s request for financial assistance with this cleanup is mind-boggling. The deal in 1999 was that Republic would clean up the mess at Sunrise Landfill (after the floods) if the people of Clark County would extend the company’s contract for 15 years. This deal was accepted and put in place.

Had Republic done the cleanup job at that time, there would be none of this back-and-forth “you pay, no you pay” mess going on. This is what our commission should do: Either Republic cleans up the entire mess, which was originally agreed upon, at its cost, or we cancel the extension and immediately look into other service providers for our trash.

It is certainly not our fault that the company dilly-dallied in cleaning this up. Or perhaps the stall tactic was intentional — hoping that we would forget the deal and be amenable to new rules to the game. I don’t think so.

Republic Services should stick to its word. And the Clark County Commission should not allow Republic to get away with this.

Discussion: 5 comments so far…

By uddeboda

11/5/08 at 4:12 a.m.

Suggest removal

The main problem here is why in these modern days do most cities and towns in the USA still continue to dump trash at landfill sites. Many are not lined and the toxic wastes leach out into your drinking water. Does this not trouble you, or perhaps you are already affected from the leached poisons
By PatriciaLV

11/5/08 at 5:27 a.m.

Suggest removal

It troubles a lot of us, uddeboda. Sadly, those of us most troubled by it, and who speak out about it, are labeled fringe wackos by the mainstream media.

It's reminiscent of the world-wide anti-war protests in 2002. MILLIONS of people protested the US government's decision to invade Iraq. MILLIONS.

In the US, the media told us it was a few thousand (despite pictures to the contrary) and the world-wide protests were barely covered, if at all.

This is one of the many reasons my head spins when anyone still clings to the "liberal media" nonsense.
By azsk8fan

11/5/08 at 8:21 a.m.

Suggest removal

Trying to wiggle out of a deal, a promise made? Inability to stick to a deal? Gee - sounds like the makings of a future politician to me.
By Tokoloshe

11/5/08 at 7:14 p.m.

Suggest removal

a deal is a deal. Clark county garbage.
Time to bring in new proposals and have them
compete for the privilige of having this
enterprise.
By Tokoloshe

11/5/08 at 7:15 p.m.

Suggest removal

republic is mis-managed. get them out.