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This Just In ...

Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.

Culinary no-no #116

Culinary no-no's


Do you have any idea what’s in your garbage right now?

No, that’s not a smart aleck question. Yes, I know you have garbage in your garbage. Specifically, what’s in there?

An old McDonald’s cardboard box and bag?

Bones from barbecued ribs?

Coffee grinds?

Banana peels?

For the benefit of this blog, it’s best if you play along and know what’s in your garbage bags. So let’s take a brief timeout…

I’M NOT GETTING’ UP AND DRAGGING MYSELF OVER TO THE GARBAGE JUST TO STICK MY NOSE IN AND LOOK IN THERE. ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME?

No, just humor me.

Play along.

Just click the upcoming video, we’ll take a short break, you check out your garbage, and it will mean so much more as we go along.

OK?

You can do it.

C’mon.

Ready.

We’ll wait.

Go.




 

Very good.

That wasn’t so tough.

All that food tossed out. And with all those kids in China…...wait, that’s another blog, another time.

Now, about your garbage. All that junk in there. Imagine not being able to throw all those food scraps in the garbage. Imagine it being illegal. Imagine being fined if you did. That kind of nonsense will soon be the rule of law in the city by the Bay, San Francisco.

All the cool ideas start in California. So do the really stupid ones. This one is royally stupid.

No one in America requires all food waste to be composted. No one. Why? Because it’s impractical. It’s not necessary. It’s ridiculous.

Here comes San Francisco. The city has approved an ordinance prohibiting throwing food scraps in the garbage. The San Francisco Chronicle calls it, “the most comprehensive mandatory composting and recycling law in the country.”

I understand recycling is popular. Some disillusioned souls actually admit that they “love” recycling. I’m glad they can have some happiness in their sorry lives.

It reminds me of what Johnny Carson said one night on the Tonight Show when discussing the word, “love.” Johnny said, “You can’t love a steak.” And he was right. You can’t “love” recycling, unless you’re just plain weird. Yes, you do it because it helps the environment. And then there are others, like me, who do it for one reason and one reason only. Because we have to.

The new San Francisco ordinance is absurdity personified. I quote from the San Francisco Chronicle:

“The legislation calls for every residence and business in the city to have three separate color-coded bins for waste: blue for recycling, green for compost and black for trash.

Failing to properly sort your refuse could result in a fine after several warnings, but Newsom and other officials say fines will only be levied in the most egregious cases.

Fines for almost all residential customers and many small businesses - anyone who generates less than a cubic yard of refuse a week - are initially capped at $100. Businesses that don't have proper bins face escalating fines up to $500.”

I love this. The San Francisco Wally Cox-like bureaucrats (they’ve just got to look like him) swear they don’t want to be fine ANYBODY. They really don’t.  There won’t be garbage police.  And all separated garbage won’t stink to high heaven.

Yeh, right.

Here’s the deal, something I’ve mentioned many times on my blog. As goofy and laughable and downright preposterous as this ordinance may sound, people pay attention. By people, I mean elected officials (potted plants)  all around the country who read about this craziness and scratch their heads and seeing hero in their near future,  they conclude that this is a great idea, and wouldn’t that work well in my backyard?

Suddenly, your hometown USA is proposing you have 5 recyclable bins whether you like it or not.

Seriously, folks. You finish your dinner and there are a few whatever’s left on the plate that you scrape into the garbage. Nope. Not anymore. Illegal. Here’s your citation.

Is it any wonder people hate government?

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