IS there a Randolph County landfill?

Guess this is filler after the Labor Day weekend —-nothing new in this HPE story on the proposed Randolph County regional landfill:

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners is moving closer to realizing its vision for building a regional landfill.

The board recently approved spending $367,000 that will allow for more studies, permits and public hearings to be held on the proposed project.

According to Finance Director William Massie, the estimated $201.8 million, 300-acre landfill will cost the county about $2 million to get off the ground and will be developed in phases over a 30-year period. Initial money is coming from the county’s landfill fund.

“It is the county’s responsibility to see that solid waste is disposed of,” Massie said. “We will probably seek the expertise of a firm that handles things like this, such as Waste Industries or Waste Management, and sell them a franchise to use our land and operate the landfill for us. The county will not have as much of the up-front commitment to build the cells and things like that. Those companies have the expertise and will handle that.”

The question is whether or not Greensboro should base its waste disposal strategy based on this information.

Funding FEMA

A couple of editorials on government’s role in disaster relief in Triad newspapers.

The Winston-Salem Journal uses Hurricane Irene as a convenient excuse to cheerlead for big government:

It’s easy to accept the sweeping generality that there is too much government on our backs, too many government programs, too much government spending. Then something like Irene comes along and reminds us how much safer we are today because of government meteorological work and disaster-relief help.

The federal budget needs to be balanced, but that balancing act should be accomplished with a clear eye on our need for essential government services.

The Journal doesn’t mention FEMA’s money issues, but the N&R does in this morning’s editorial praising North Carolina’s rainy day fund, which will take care of the majority of Irene’s cleanup costs.

Unfortunately the N&R’s suggestion to bulk up FEMA’s funding is small income-tax surcharge paid by working Americans,” who “could consider it an insurance policy that would make sure FEMA has the means to help them if their home is destroyed by a tornado or hurricane.”

I understand Ron Paul wants to do away with FEMA. Some might think I’m just as crazy when I say do away with HUD, the Dept. of Education and the Dept. of Energy. As it stands, I wouldn’t go so far as to do away with FEMA, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to fund it without looking at cuts to totally nonessential services, such as HUD, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Energy……..