Recently the Overland Park, Kansas City Council voted for mandatory recyling in the city without a public hearing or debate.  The chief proponent of mandatory recycling, councilwoman Donna Owens, stated that “I think we need to move forward with managing this because it will compel people to start recycling even if they don’t want to.”  She further suggested that the "effort by the council was a way to manage/moderate for our residents the impending ‘crisis’ that is ahead on solid waste."  And, who created the crisis other than Council?

The fact that this city council voted not only against the will of the people but with no public debate is the issue, not whether or not, there was public awareness.  Her actions, along with those of other council members, are not the workings of democracy or self-government but rather those of a cadre of elitists who believe they know better than everyone else. 

Citizens in a free society and this is key, are not under any obligation to dance to the perceived fears of a coterie of self-anointed intellectuals who see themselves as uniquely qualified to govern.  We haven’t experienced the ‘..reality of this [recycling] problem in Johnson County’ until now because this current council’s leadership skills do not extend beyond crisis management.

Perhaps, council could better spend its time lobbying the state to build a refuse burning facility outside OP based on fluidized bed technology, one that would obviate the need for larger landfills as well as augment the city’s supply of electricity. Environmental parameters are less difficult to meet than what KCPL will have to do for its 800 MW Weston, Missouri unit.