County policy on junkcars is a clunker

Since early 1998, I have raised, at every opportunity before either the whole

County Council or the council’s Public Works Committee, questions about the

real cost of our island’s solid-waste management in general and, in particular,

the status and cost of the disposal of junk cars. Unfortunately – or some would

say predictably (as would Ernest Perry, I fear) – my inquiries have been met

with silence on both sides of the county government.

I was hoping that the

public hearing on Bill 1959 (“relating to vehicle beautification

fees,” as was stated on the meeting agenda on Oct. 18, though an amusing

reference, since the real purpose of the fee system is to raise money for

getting rid of junk cars) would afford an opportunity to bring up the subject

again of the real cost of the disposal of junk cars on this island.

This

was a very relevant question in connection with this bill, as the amount

collected at the annual car registration for this purpose amounts to only $3

which, according to Councilman Billy Swain, would yield $81,000 a year.

Assuming 3,000 junk cars a year need to be disposed of, this would allocate $27

to each of these, lower than even the $40 cost of the very efficient system in

operation on the Big Island.

So the real cost of junk car disposal is an

important and logical question to raise. But, again, no answer from anybody,

at least not any formal answer at an open meeting of the government before the

public.

While the county administration has so far declined to reveal

any cost figures at the many, many meetings of the Public Works Committee, the

mayor has apparently devised a novel method of lifting the veil of silence just

a little bit – namely, on her radio show on KUAI. Disputing my figure of $300

to $500 per junk car (which indeed I have roughly estimated, without any help

from either the administration or the council), the mayor says it is only $200

per junk car. Whew! What a relief! Only $200 to get rid of a junk car. What a

monumental achievement. Until you recall that the per-junk-car cost on the Big

Island is $40. And it was $25 on Kaua’i in the 1980s.

I guess we are not

out of Alice’s Wonderland yet.

Raymond L. Chuan

Hanalei