Despite the mounting chorus of voices demanding the restoration of a weekly collection service, the portfolio holder for bins, Councillor Dave Hobson, remains obdurate.
In support of the status quo, he says that Boston is one of many local authorities which now empty bins on alternate weeks, and that he is “encouraged” by the “support” of local people for the scheme.
Both of these arguments are fallacious.
The fact that Boston is willing sheepishly to follow an unpopular course of action is no justification - nor does it mean that because people obey the recycling rules - which were arbitrarily imposed without any public consultation - that they embrace them with enthusiasm. And let’s not forget that anyone who disobeys the council’s orders ends up in court facing a heavy fine.
To make matters worse, it has emerged that the initiative for fortnightly collections was at the unilateral behest of the now discredited and soon to be abolished Audit Commission, which pushed councils to comply - even though there was no government policy to do so.
So no-one really wants it.
By an amusing irony, the surname of the man telling us how great the alternate refuse collection system is, is one forever associated with a total absence of freedom.
The dictionary tells us: “A Hobson's choice is a choice in which only one option is offered. As a person may refuse to take that option, the choice is therefore ‘take it or leave it.’”
Exactly.
This summer has been one of the hottest for many years, providing perfect breeding conditions for flies.
Many people are unable to clean out their green bins. It may be because of disability, or the fact that their bins remain on the street, and any attempt to wash them out would probably lead to accusations of some littering.
Whatever the reason, the telltale smell is a giveaway, and lifting the lid of such a bin would doubtless find it seething with maggots.
We wonder whether Councillor Hobson is aware that more than 100 pathogens associated with the house fly may cause disease in humans and animals, including typhoid, cholera, bacillary dysentery, tuberculosis, anthrax, ophthalmia and infantile diarrhea, as well as parasitic worms.
The female house fly lays individual eggs in masses of 75 to 150 eggs; in her lifetime, a single female house fly may lay up to 900 eggs.
The potential reproductive capacity of flies is tremendous. If unchecked by nature, pair of flies beginning beginning breeding in April may be progenitors, if all were to live, of 91,010,000,000,000,000,000, flies by August.
Then, or course, there are rats ... but we’re not going there.
It is a great pity that Councillor Hobson and his BBI partners in public health crime cannot see a way to deal with reasonable complaints from reasonable people.
The bottom line is - as always - that alternate bin collections are cheaper, so the punters can go and boil their heads as far as our leaders are concerned.
That’s it for today ....
Must fly!
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