On the morning of the great garbage privatization debate at City Hall, there’s much to kick around.
Like, that staff report from the works committee councillors will have before them as they debate the plan to contract out curbside pickup west of Yonge to the Humber River. The document has holes big begin enough to drive a garbage truck through. (But you’ll have to read Thursday’s NOW for the details on that).
Also to consider is the fact lobbyists for certain of the prospective bidders for the lucrative quarter of a billion dollar deal are reportedly making themselves more conspicuous around City Hall these days.
But don’t expect any surprises on the vote front. On this one the fix is in.
A few among the mayor’s coterie of right wingnuts may feel uncomfortable about the secrecy surrounding the rush to privatize. The fact a committee of bureaucrats, and not elected reps on council, will be the ones making the decision on who will ultimately will get the contract may not sit well with a few of them.
The public, though, still wants its flesh from the inconvenience of that garbage strike a couple of summers back – or was it the contract settlement that so irked the masses? – and so it’s doubtful there are enough councillors experiencing pangs of anxiety over the backdoor dealings so far on this one, even among the so-called mushy middle on council, to vote down the plan.
The debate, unfortunately, has been cast as one between the union representing workers and the public. No winning that one in the current political climate.
City staff is claiming savings somewhere in the order of $8 million under its privatization plan. Let’s not dissect the folly of that assumption here.
The real financial costs and perils of the contracting out won’t really be felt for years to come when, if all goes according to Fordo, all waste management is contracted out and the city is out of the garbage collection game entirely. That’s when the real dangers of privatizing will be exposed.
Instead of managing a precious resource – yes folk, garbage collection generates millions in revenue for Toronto – the city’s role will be reduced to managing disputes between waste companies with contracts to haul our garbage. It’s not clear what monitoring role the city will play.
But it’s a given waste diversion programs will suffer. That’s been the experience of other jurisdictions and that’s been the outcome here in District 1in Etobicoke, the one area of the city currently contracted out to a private company. Recycling rates there are the lowest of any area in the city. Coincidence?
Years from now the city may be spending more to clean up the mess left by privatized garbage. Won’t be long before we’re talking incineration and other junk science to get us out of the mess. That’s not fear-mongering. That’s just the way the wind blows when governments relinquish control.
