IT'S THE CITY'S JOB
Dean Olsen's feature on our waste disposal system was very thorough, with many useful thoughts from various leaders in the community ("Talking trash," April 4). I also appreciated the capsule descriptions of how other similarly sized Illinois cities collect waste, including cost and effectiveness.
Springfield is a checkerboard of incorporation, and I live in one of the unincorporated squares, so I know how much the sanitation contractors would charge city residents if they could. It's a lot.
I think that whatever system is adopted, it needs to be county-wide and carefully regulated to encourage compliance.
There is a Jenga tower of existing regulations and contractual obligations that makes pulling out any one thing risky. But don't prioritize that risk over government's essential purpose of getting the task of sanitation services done right.
Jeffrey Hobbs Springfield
NOT THE CITY'S BUSINESS
Springfield needs to focus on filling potholes and keeping the power and water running at decent rates. The mayor and city council have no business in a person's choice of garbage pickup. If they get in the garbage business, they will only screw it up.
Lake Area Disposal is the best business that the city has. Anyone who has problems with garbage pickup isn't using them. I've used them for years, as did my father and grandfather before me. If the city tries to get involved all they will get is the lowest bidder which does not mean the best quality service. Lake Area is quality service and local. Springfield should celebrate them.
As far as litter or fly dumping, why not institute a yearly, quarterly or monthly city-wide cleanup day? Maybe divide it up by wards, if necessary. If the mayor wants to spend money, she can hire contractors or day workers to do the heavy lifting. It would be a great way for those who need to earn a little extra money. I bet she might even be able to get some high school students who need volunteer hours to work those days. Anne Hofferkamp
Springfield
PAY MINIMUM WAGE
Pay all your workers minimum wage and figure the increase in the cost of the meal ("Bill ending state's tipped wage advances, but prospects uncertain amid pushback," April 5). If a customer wants to leave a tip, it should be a transaction between the customer and server; leave the owner out of it. We live in a high-tech world; create an app so the server gets the tip electronically from the customer, one that tracks the tips so they are reportable. The reduced time spent by owners documenting tips is a cost-savings that should become part of the discussion.
Phil Zachary
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
BAD BILL
I remember waiting tables at Robbie's downtown in 2010. The average menu price was $8. Business was steady, but not booming. Despite this, I was walking out the door with $30 an hour in tips.
If a location paying a tipped wage is so slow that the server isn't making at least $20 an hour in tips, the restaurant won't be open long.
I completely understand the philosophical arguments on this issue, including that American tipping culture is flawed. However, servers will go home with less money as a result of this bill. Restaurants will have a harder time finding people who want to be servers. Prices will go up. Service will suffer. The restaurants that will be able to make this work are the chain places, although they'll probably change their business models and reevaluate locations.
I see this legislation as one of those things that "feels right," but doesn't actually make sense. I say all of that as someone who generally supports labor reforms. If the goal is the guarantee that servers go home with at least the minimum wage, create a portal for servers to report violations of employers not paying the difference between the tipped wage and the full minimum wage.
Steven Simpson-Black
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
FACTOR TIPS IN
When you eliminate tips and increase the cost of a product, that just means the "tip" is added to the product. The cost actually remains the same for customers who are decent tippers. It only punishes those who never tip or tip poorly.
Catherine Black
