Bid out our towns garbage contract

I find it very wrong that people who are opposing the current garbage rates are throwing around made up numbers like they are facts.  The facts are:  

1.  Just because Schererville was able to get a certain rate doesn't mean Lowell could get that same rate.  The transfer station for the garbage is in Schererville which saves garbage company time and money.  Additionally, they are over three times as large as Lowell.  The companies know they can drop the price for larger communities and still make the profits that are needed.  They can not do this for Lowell.   Lowell would be required to pay more due to its size and simple mathematics.  So when the opponents say, "$2 times 3,500 homes times 12 months times 3 years equals blah, blah, blah", they are using faulty math to rile up the masses.  

2.  Locking in current rates (or in this case, last years rate) for three years isn't really a bad thing.  Yes, it is a gamble, but most things in life are.  When you refinance your mortgage and lock in an interest rate, you are betting that you will be saving money in the long run because the rates may go up.  Same thing with phone service, satellite tv, and most everything in the world.  Yes, the services you use may go down in price, but really, when does that ever happen?  Usually things go up in price;  that is just the world we live in.  So, the town council locked in a rate that will not go up for three years.  I am guessing if most of you were faced with the same question in your own lives (i.e...  Locking in your cell phone bill for 3 years) you would seriously give it some consideration.  Because, really, when has your cell phone service dropped in price recently?   

3.  Republic Waste is a Lowell company.  Many Lowellians shout from the rooftops, "Shop Lowell First!!!"  Now, some company dangles a dollar bill in front of you saying, "I got you a dollar" and you want to run off with a company who, as far as I know, only has one client and whose address is a PO Box in Crown Point. 

Everyone needs to relax and stop throwing baseless accusations because you have watched a few too many episodes of Law and Order.  Trust that our representatives know what they are doing.  Attend meetings and learn what is going on in your town.  But, don't let a small handful of disgruntled people give you one side of the story and assume it is Gospel.