Editorials Archive

Continue conversation on garbage
, Publisher
05-08-2008

Monday’s meeting of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury showed a bit of promise for the future of the parish. Simply put, it was a first: the mayors of parish municipalities had never before been in the same room with the Police Jury with the express purpose of talking about litter and garbage.

The information that went around the room was educational, and we expect that with all heads in the game and conversation open, real and positive change can come about for the future of our parish.

There may come a day soon when our woes with garbage end, but for now, taking the time to discuss what each municipality faces in its fight against trash and how the parish can help them or benefit from their service is an important step along the path.

One thing that truly needs to happen, and that the Police Jury must find a way to bring about, is a consultation from an expert. As is the case in many complicated and specialized fields, the biggest problems — the significant internal hurdles that keep true and decisive action from coming about — almost uniformly require an outsider’s perspective to see.

We become wrapped up in the nitty-gritty of what makes one specific Dumpster site better than another or if a specific subset of individuals will suffer when the system is changed from the one they are comfortable with.

An outsider, someone who carries the knowledge of logistics and finding the most economical solution, must also be able to address how the process of change is derailed.

Be it Dumpsters, curbside or a combination of the two, the Police Jury has shown time and again that the best intentions can be sidelined by limited time, energy, attention and flexibility. A consultant, preferably someone from our region with the knowledge of its trash system as a whole, must come in prepared to handle the politics of the issue as much as how to clean up the physical garbage and keep it gone. We hope the Police Jury finds a way to get the help it — and Lincoln Parish — needs.