The current disagreement between mayor Mufi Hannemann and the City Council is a study in the disfunctionality of government. The focus of this quarrel is the solid waste problem and the inevitable closing of the Waimanalo Gulch landfill. The Council, rightly, wants to set a firm date for the landfill’s closing. The mayor objects because he says it would impose a big increase upon taxpayers.

The first question that comes to mind is: Why is the mayor suddenly concerned with increased taxes on taxpayers? Up until now the mayor has justified every tax increase, from the GET, to property taxes, to sewer fees, to name but a few, as absolutely necessary. Why is this any different? Something must be done about the upcoming landfill crisis and if it requires more taxes then so be it.

The real problem is the refusal on the part of the mayor, the City Council and a number of special interests, namely the Sierra club and like-minded environmental fanatics, to consider the only rational solution to the solid waste problem: Shipping it to the mainland.

The problem for Oahu is locating the next landfill in a place that will not contaminate the groundwater. This is next to impossible. Either the next landfill will be located somewhere on the Leeward coast, a politically unpalatable solution, or groundwater will be contaminated somewhere. There are no other options. The mayor and the Council first need to face this truth.

In the face of the Akaka bill and the feeble “Sovereignty movement” Hawaii needs to decide whether or not it is actually a part of the United States of America. If it decides that it is then transporting solid waste to the mainland is not “immoral” as many assert. That is the nature of being part of a nation. Just as nuclear waste from all over the country will eventually be sent to Nevada so too could Hawaii’s solid waste could be sent to landfills that want the business in Idaho.

Last year some company from Idaho came to Honolulu and made a proposal to take the island’s solid waste. This was rejected out of hand because “we shouldn’t be sending our garbage elsewhere – that is immoral.” This is childishly ideological thinking. And this demonstrates what is wrong with government controlling such decisions. It should be a strict matter of economics. What is the most cost effective solution? As I recall the proposal from the mainland company was relatively cost effective. Why not take it?

Mayor Hannemann’s refusal to address the pressing landfill problem is what his predecessor was so adept at: Putting the problem off into the future. This isn’t acceptable; the problem isn’t going to go away, just become more pressing with every passing day. He needs to deal with it now and search for the best possible solution.

The argument that cost is an issue is a red herring. The real problem is that government, including the city of Honolulu, tries to do too much, and so does nothing well and at far too great a cost. The load on the taxpayers has become abominable and yet there is no thought for reducing that load, except when a politically contentious solution would threaten an elected official’s standing. Then all of a sudden cost is a concern.

If the city of Honolulu is going to undertake the problem of solid waste collection and disposal, rather than farming it out to private companies, then it will have to find solutions that are both economical and acceptable to the general public. As it stands now the current landfill’s days are numbered. The mayor needs to wake up to this fact and the City Council needs to consider solutions that may not be ideologically correct but are practical. If Idaho wants our garbage we should let them have it.

Ref:

City Council Sets Landfill Deadline