I dislike paying taxes as much as anyone, but I learned back in junior high that they are inevitable. “Pay as you Throw” in Waterville has people trying to determine whether this is a tax. Property tax rates stayed the same, and we now pay for trash.

Would life really be better for all those who oppose it if property taxes had gone up and their trash bags remained black?

Newsflash — people who use more electricity than their neighbor pay more for it, so they learn to cut back on power usage or live with it. People who use more water pay higher fees. People who buy more groceries pay more.

Why does this same concept create such tension when it comes to trash? If one person puts out a bag per week and recycles while a few houses down they stack trash bags, boxes and plastic to build what looks like Mount Washington, should the cost for each be the same? No. This is where we can control our destiny. We can choose to recycle and keep our “tax or fee” down. It is what it is for a one-year trial.

Steve Soule

Waterville