Big Brother is at it again; the city of San Francisco has instituted a ban on food scraps, and no longer allows its citizens to throw them into the garbage. The city has a plan to eliminate landfill waste by 2020, and this includes mandatory composting.
San Francisco Food Scrap Fine
This week, San Francisco passed a mandatory composting law which is the strictest ordinance of its kind in the country. San Francisco has never been shy about imposing mandatory regulations on its citizens in the past, and they show no signs of stopping now.
San Francisco’s mandatory composting law, makes it the leader in “environmentally friendly” regulations; it also makes it a perfect example of liberal government run wild. Residents will be required to have three color coded trash cans, one for recyclables, one for trash, and the newest for food scraps that must be composted. From MSNBC:
Waste collectors will not pick through anyone’s garbage, said Robert Reed, a spokesman for Sunset Scavenger Co., which handles the city’s recyclables. If the wrong kind of materials are noticed while a bin is being emptied, workers will leave what Reed called “a love note,” to let customers know they are not with the program.
“We’re not going to lock you up in jail if you don’t compost,” said Nathan Ballard, a spokesman for Mayor Gavin Newsom who proposed the measure that passed Tuesday. “We’re going to make it as easy as possible for San Franciscans to learn how to compost.”
A moratorium on fines will end in 2010; at that time individuals who are repeat offenders will be fined $100, businesses who do not provide the proper containers will be fined $500. The mandatory compost measure was proposed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
May not seem like much, but it’s just another example of citizens who are losing their rights and don’t even realize it. That’s how it happens, one little right at a time.
The food scrap ban passed 9-2 on Tuesday and is expected to pass a final vote; at that time Mayor Newsom will sign the mandatory composting law.
Composting Toilet Video Yummy!
June 12th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
When all else fails, let’s get down on SF. I work in SF, and live in Sonoma County. I grew up in the Midwest. I would not live anywhere else in the world. I don’t care what bin I have to put my food scraps in. You could not pay me to move. It is Heaven on Earth. Let’s keep it that way.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:36 am
People like Klo are the problem, they are so enamored with their little socialist haven things like liberty and rights go out the window. Enjoy your commune sheep.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:57 am
[...] Eventually you won’t be allowed to breathe in San Francisco San Francisco Food Scrap Fine; Mandatory Compost Law [...]
June 13th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Its just a conspiracy to get all those homeless people to pay for their meals.
Ca. is cash strapped
June 13th, 2009 at 9:05 am
what exactly do san franciscans do with their table scraps now, like pizza crusts, half eaten hoagies, broken carrot and celerey stickes, a spoonful of strawbury marmalade? where does it go? say old green grapes or a bruised brown pear?
June 13th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Anyone who thinks this is a bad idea is clearly not thinking. Liberalism has nothing to do with this law. It’s just COMMON SENSE! But, that is what the conservatives often refer to liberalism as anyway. Compost those scraps SanFran!!! Someday I hope to live there with you, three recycling bins and all!!!!!!
June 13th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Start looking at the reasons for city-wide composting. It’s easy, it keeps the landfill usable longer, and the city is paying for it. I have a backyard compost bin, and it cuts the amount of garbage we produce in half.
June 13th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Crystal.
Liberalism has everything to do with environmentalism which has everything to do with half the stupid recycling initiatives we see.
Paper does not come from the forest, it comes from farmed pulpwood trees. Recycled paper is expensive, no one buys it. Metal recyling is just as bad for the environment as it is to harvest fresh material. Cost effective yes, good for the environment, no.
Its just more crap we have pay to do that we dont want to do.
Gimme a flux capacitor and we”ll start talking. Sell it to the pig farmer, eat more pork.
June 13th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
” and the city is paying for it.”
typical liberal ignorance.
What, you think the city just popcorn farts the funds out their butt ?
June 13th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
What the hell are rats, sea gulls and the homeless for???
June 15th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
[...] has been a lot of criticism of the new laws, saying it oversteps government boundaries and is too “Big Brother” in its [...]
June 24th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
I guess I don’t really get what the problem is. There is a law that you cannot just pile your garbage in the yard, why is it different that you should separate out useable food waste that can benefit farmers and gardeners in the region? I understand the conservative view to criticize all things that happen in San Francisco, but I do not see the big brother reference. If you do not want to comply, move to a place where they do not care what you put in the landfill.
This is not a violation of civil rights. It’s a simple request to make a city easier to live in.
June 26th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
[...] any type of change so heavy-handed, or with any new activities being imposed upon them. There is much griping on the web about “big brother”, and big government trying to control more of how people live their lives. This law is being used [...]