Most of you probably are not aware of how our city leaders are extorting money from citizens of Hays. Years ago, I chose to quit using the city's sanitation service and to go with a private hauler. A couple of years later, my private hauler lost some of his other clients along my street and quit coming down my alley. It was not worth it for him to come to the alley for one client, so I started taking my trash to the Dumpster at work -- where I had permission to do so.

Let me say here that I am a single man who recycles everything I can and, therefore, I have very little trash. I did not think it was fair to pay the same rate for one or two bags of trash per month as my neighbor who doesn't bother to recycle and might have five or six bags of trash per week.

When the city decided to go with polycarts, I received a letter from them stating that anyone who was contracted with a private hauler prior to a certain date was exempt. I provided them with proof that I was indeed contracted with a private hauler prior to that date. They then said that I was not on any of the private collector's current lists and would therefore be receiving a polycart. I provided them with evidence that my trash was being properly disposed of and taken care of by a private collector at my place of work.

I did not have the option of getting back on with a private hauler. The city said that I would have to pay for sanitation services whether I used the city's service or not. When I started to get charged for sanitation by the city, I refused to pay it. They ultimately came and shut my water off, causing damage to my ice maker and the dehydration motor in my refrigerator. Their policy states that "the city reserves the right to discontinue water service to any customer upon his failure to pay the charge made for refuse services rendered." There was no service rendered.

Taxpaying homeowners no longer have the choice to hire a private trash collector -- they are required to pay for the city's service. I believe that apartment renters and lot renters still have a choice. This is not right.

Private collectors no longer can take on new homeowner clients. This is not right. What's to keep the city from charging outrageous rates? Nothing. They are also taking business away from these taxpaying private haulers who are trying to make a living.

If the city is going to force us to use their sanitation service, they should charge according to the amount of trash and recyclables.

There is a Web site that better describes all the unfair aspects of the city's sanitation policies and procedures. It is www.letuschoose.us Please check it out. I am not the only citizen who has been treated unfairly; there are many of us.

Never once during the time I was not using the city's sanitation service was there any concern over what I was doing with my trash. There only concern was "we want our money." We can not let our "city leaders" continue to extort money from hard-working, taxpaying citizens to finance their ignorant and ridiculous decisions.

I must say that when the city commissioners were contracted regarding this issue, Chris Channell was the only one to show any concern. The rest of the commissioners behave in true "puppet" fashion doing what city hall wants them to do.

I have talked to numerous people who say that they have quit recycling and have quit taking yard waste to the compost site because of the city's refuse policy. Its all going into the polycarts.

Please check out www.letuschoose.us and help us to get our "right to choose" back.

Robert Naegele

1718 Golden Belt