By Grady Easley
My disclaimer: This piece was not meant to personally attack or denigrate any specific person. Indeed, the bureaucracy provides shelter for everyone.
— Grady Easley
Come on, guys, face realities. Recycling is coming. It will cost more than planned and accomplish less than stated goals.
As this is written after the original ballyhoo, I have been told that at minimum a participation rate of 50 percent is needed for success. I was also told these numbers are not “hard” numbers to be used to force or deny a go-ahead decision.
So, voters and fellow citizens, it is gonna happen regardless of participants. This is a mere continuation of the theory that a bureaucracy knows best what is good for citizens and taxpayers.
You are learning the hard way about monoliths, juggernauts, and bureaucracy. To help your understanding, I offer brief.
A monolith is usually a single block of stone shaped into a pillar or monument. Generally, an obelisk (such as the Washington Monument) would also be a monolith.
The term juggernaut generally refers to an overwhelming force or object. A speeding train could be considered as an overwhelming object if you tried to stop it.
Bureaucracy is a form of central government by central administration. Officials in a bureaucracy tend to be regarded as oppressive and inflexible.
You might say, quite reasonably, so what does than mean to me. Gather around children, and listen to the old man. He does know something.
Bureaucrats tend to function like juggernauts and as rapidly as a monolith, i. e., snail’s pace... That is a damning statement supported by facts and experience.
Readers should understand this process before proceeding. Truly, bureaucracies are a necessary evil just to make sure t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted. Supposedly, they keep the playing field level.
Once the wheels of bureaucracy are put in motion (sometimes most difficult), it may require more than an act of Congress to stop or even divert the motion.
In our culture, we can not function without laws, rules, regulations, departments, agencies, commissions, bureaus, procedures, plans, budgets and a few other obstacles. This is to protect the public interest from waste, fraud, and abuse.
People who function in and at these bureaucracies have their job performance on display at all times. Do it well and that is just your job. Let something bad occur and I was not there when it happened.
Just as in any workplace, no one wants to be caught or accused of making a mistake.
So when a proposed project surfaces, the usual reaction is positive. No one ever wants to appear as being always negative. In addition, if the project is a success, there is more money and more employees and so on. So, the task moves forward.
My working experience includes some years in the bureaucratic jungle. In rare instances, I made policy and hid behind rules. Usually, I stood in front and tried to lead disbelievers into the path of righteousness.
I have to assume the City Recycling Project began as an idea gathered from experience or reading of trade journals. It quickly became an idea on the agenda for City Council.
As the proposed project moved along, it was brought into a manageable bundle and introduced to the Council. Their directive was to proceed with the test. The cost of the test was estimated to be over $300,000. If the test failed, there would still be a few realized benefits.
Generally, residents seem to approve and support recycling as a concept. It is popular in most circles. However, these same citizens tend to question the city’s approach to recycling. There is a difference in these viewpoints.
The original handouts contained a cursory view of dollars and assumptions. Without really hard data, one assumes the numbers were correct and valid. However, citizens could extract the main elements with some examination.
The first town meeting provided a few citizens with an opportunity to review the proposal. There were no immediate handouts or studies or numbers for citizens to review... Printouts were available upon request.
The 40-minute presentation was good and disclosed many numbers as regards recycling, landfills, and costs. Pictures and other exhibits have been added to the presentation.
I have managed projects in my time and would assume the funny numbers of existing estimates include one or more scenarios of “what if” have been factored into the decision. These were not apparent.
One of the more jarring words that almost wrecked the presentation was continued use of the word “hopefully.” This is a weak word. It totally negates and detracts from any positive preceding words.
The expensive test will happen at Elkins Lake. I have heard the reasoning and I understand them. I do not agree with them but then I may not understand their overall city problem.
I have talked with TDCJ personnel about using inmate labor for sorting the recyclables. Without exception, they are negative to the proposals, citing unit lockdowns and other events.
Many residents have expressed security concerns about inmates pilfering names and addresses (identity theft) from magazines and other mailers. In our house, we shred almost everything that could identify us to anyone. This is a concern but controllable.
The most disquieting elements of the entire recycling project were not addressed satisfactorily. The reference cities were named and cited although I understand some of their programs are faltering.
At one time, we believed that re-cycling was something of a profitable or even a break-even revenue proposition. In the long ago, perhaps it was. The current economic climate has had a severe impact on the re-cycling revenues.
Fellow residents, the recycling shoe is about to drop. You have months to get ready for it.
When it happens across the whole city, and I believe it will, be ready to pay more recyclables and trash pickup with less frequency of pickup. In other words, you will pay more to support a worthwhile city project.
Get on the bandwagon – or get out of the way.
page65@at.net or 219 Elkins Lake, Huntsville, Texas 77340
