Lawn mower, trash proposals are ‘nonsense’

To the editor,

I am writing about the South Portland Sustainability Department asking the city council to ban gas mowers and leaf blowers and the plan to make us pay yet another tax to have our garbage picked up.

Trash first.

Our trash goes to the trash to energy plant and is of use right now. It’s a system that works and avoids landfills and the many problems that go with it. They have already raised our taxes over 40 percent in the past year and are now talking about raising them over 20 percent more. More than 60 percent tax hike in 2½ years.

I don’t know where they think we’re going to get the money to waste on unnecessary items that amount to no more than a big power grab, virtue-signaling tax and spend spree.

Banning gas powered lawn equipment.

Why? Who is going to buy all of us new, high-quality electric lawn mowers that have non-recyclable lithium batteries that are made with carcinogenic rare earth minerals by people who have no protections or benefits and only get paid a dollar a day? Do they know a decent quality electric lawn mower, that will need to be recharged, raising our now doubled electric bill even more and use more natural gas that is used to produce the electricity about $1,000?

Just another virtue-signaling power grab from a department that we were promised would be one part job and is now and entire department of overpaid employees using our tax money that could be better used elsewhere or just not taken from us.

If this nonsense is passed, I suggest civil disobedience. Don’t give up your gas powered lawn equipment unless you make the choice without being forced.

Kandi-Lee Hoy

South Portland