Posted by: Dave Everett | 03/23/2008 11:50 PM
I know the left wants the government to control almost every aspect of our lives, but in the City of Norco they are even debating regulating horse manure. The city is, as former Norco Mayor Harvey Sullivan(D) put it, "...the last Mecca, the last Alamo of horse country,"
Even worse than mandating how you pick up your horse manure, some are pushing for a manure tax.
"...The city is divided over several manure-related issues. There is a pending battle over whether new fees should be levied to pick up large bins of manure from businesses and a proposal to convert manure into electricity. But the most divisive issue is whether City Hall should be able to dictate the manner in which manure is disposed of -- or whether homeowners should be allowed to do with it as they please..."
I should point out that the City of Norco was forced to come up with some government plan to "adequately address pollutants from horse manure" or risk another government fine. But one would think that in "Horse Country USA" they could address a simple water quality issue without a new tax or regulation. How about trying a voluntary program or a public awareness campaign?
City officials say their hand was forced.
Two years ago, Norco was fined nearly $80,000 after water quality officials determined the city had not "established a mechanism to adequately address pollutants from horse manure."
One concern was that pollutants could be carried by storm water into creeks and underground water supplies.
Unfortunately, I think only Frank Hall and Kathy Azevedo are Republicans on that City Council so even if they try to deal with the water quality issues without a manure tax or strict regulations - they will most likely be out voted.
That's why, to critics like Haddock and Sullivan, the debate is about something greater than horse manure. City Hall has been reminded that the only thing Norconians love as much as their horses is being left alone. Proposed rules requiring pick-up, opponents believe, are nothing less than an assault on their lifestyle...
..."We think it's a bunch of hooey," Haddock said. "Your home will not be your home anymore. It's that simple."
And towards the end of the article, by the use of "fussy," I'm pretty sure LA Times writer Scott Gold is dripping with sarcasm when he says:
In that environment, the city has attempted time and again to count the horses. And time and again, the bureaucrats have been told to mind their own business.
The conventional wisdom is that the city wants to count horses simply because officials want to start licensing them, in the same way that dogs are.
That would be, in effect, a tax hike. More taxes would mean greater government influence and regulation. Next thing you know, you aren't in Norco anymore; you're in one of those fussy towns where you have to get a permit just to change the oil on your truck -- in your own driveway, for goodness' sake.
Is their anything the LA Times doesn't think we need a permit for? For goodness' sake indeed.
I know the left wants the government to control almost every aspect of our lives, but in the City of Norco they are even debating regulating horse manure. The city is, as former Norco Mayor Harvey Sullivan(D) put it, "...the last Mecca, the last Alamo of horse country,"
For anyone interested in this story, here are more (and earlier) articles from the Press-Enterprise:
http://www.pe.com/localnews/norco/stories/PE_News_Local_D_manure24.2acce68.html
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_C_cmanure27.43ebc80.html
(Full disclosure, these articles are by me. Please excuse the self-promotion, but the Press-Enterprise does tend to have more Riverside County news than the LA Times.)
Some Norco residents believe something more sinister is at work, but city officials say water quality regulators are requiring them to mandate manure pick-up. Government regulation strikes again.
Another note, to clarify Dave Everett's comment that some want a manure tax: what the Times rather vaguely refers to here is a battle between the city and trash hauler Waste Management, which wants to charge for a part of its manure service that has previously been free. The city has so far told the hauler to take a hike because such a fee is not in the current contract. An ad hoc committee to resolve the issue discussed a city-wide manure pick-up charge, but people seemed to agree that would never fly and it was not pursued.
It is always funny to me how many city employees think taxes are a solution and as soon as the general population gets involved, they change their mind.
When will politicians understand that people don't want the government taking their money.
Great update Alicia. I agree that no one should be reading the LA Times for Riverside news.