Five days. 172,000 people. 145 tons of trash.

According to IVP this is the trash total after a long Thanksgiving Weekend.  The chatter out there continues to ratchet up as we get closer to the dumpsters being pulled.  The dune detractors are sharpening their knives in anticipation of the piles of trash expose photos they will take.  A solution is necessary.

Here at Dunefast we maintain a few points on this issue.

1.  Until the BLM goes transparent on its financial’s (which will never happen) then this is just another BS issue of government taking the money we as duners pay in fees, and diverting it elsewhere. Until I see numbers, as if I had too to begin with, then the BLM is screwing us on this.  NO different then the state of CA being bankrupt; all they say is that they need more funding and that’s the solution to the problem.  Its never about financial transparency nor accountability.

2.  Assuming the trash does stop with no solution in place, trash will pile up.  The place it will pile up more than anywhere else is at the bottom of olds.  This is, and will be, primarily due to the local poluation who are NOT DUNERS, and come just to get wasted and start a fire.  Not saying they dont have the right mind you, just saying that the duning community loves what we have and would never screw it up.  There is a love and a respect for Glamis that only a duner really has and only a duner can really understand.  Its not something achieved through just an 18pack and a bonfire.  As soon as the cans are gone the detractors of the dunes and environmentalist wacko’s are going to come take their photos and publish them in the paper in attempts to advance their agenda which will stop an nothing bull full dune closure.

3.The Solution, at least the one we are advocating, is to say we need to raise fees…ok fine.  Lets raise them then but ONLY ONCE!  Lets figure what it costs to do so…say a 10 dollar per permit fee increase or even 20, 30, 40.  Hauling trash out is a pain in the A#@ and I will certainly pay not to have to do it, but that money should then be in a separate TRANSPARENT ACCOUNT.  An account just for trash and an account that the BLM CANNOT TOUCH.  The current trash provider has already publicly stated

“I would do it for the price I am doing it for now forever,” said Mission Disposal owner Larry O’Harra. “I could hold my price where it is now for the next five years.”

So lets lock the fee increase in and let Larry do his thing.  If there is a surplus it stays in the account.  If a shortfall then fees increase the next year.

The IVP article linked to above(click ratchet up) states that some are lobbying U.S. Rep. Bob Filner for government funding.  I think that would be a great thing if it happened although its a band aid rather than a solution to the problem.  The ASA has been, and will continue to be the tip of the spear on this.  If you feel compelled to give or get involved then do it through them.  Yet it can’t hurt for all of us to contact the congressman as well.  His contact info is below.

Keep in mind he is one of the most liberal in congress and assuming he has a couple of extra bucks in pork money lying around from depriving our troops of support or paying for haircuts he still wont help us. While its clear I have no future in diplomacy… nor art, maybe you do. His contact info is below.

Community Offices:

333 F Street, Suite A	1101 Airport Road, Suite D
Chula Vista, CA 91910	Imperial, CA 92251
Phone: (619) 422-5963	Phone: (760) 355-8800
Fax: (619) 422-7290	Fax: (760) 355-8802

Washington, DC Office:

2428 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-8045
Fax: (202) 225-9073

Due to new mail handling procedures for government office buildings, postal mail to my Washington, D.C. office may be delayed by several weeks or even months!  Please fax or e-mail, if possible.

Send me an electronic message

Tagged as: Articles, ASA, BLM