0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 69
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                           JAMES G. TAYLOR
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THAT ALL COUNTIES PROVIDE RESIDENTS THE OPTION TO
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0012|     DECLINE COUNTY WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES.
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0013|     
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0014|          WHEREAS, as a consequence of inadequate revenues to
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0015|     operate expensive solid waste facilities that comply with
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0016|     environmental protection agency requirements, many counties
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0017|     have had to consolidate landfill and other solid waste
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0018|     facilities; and
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0019|          WHEREAS, closure of landfills and the attendant increase
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0020|     in distances traveled and costs incurred by residents for
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0021|     waste disposal have increased litter and illegal dumping
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0022|     throughout the state; and
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0023|          WHEREAS, many counties are trying to cope with the litter
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0024|     and illegal dumping problem by establishing publicly financed
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0025|     curbside waste collection services to be paid for from service
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0001|     charges on all residents in their jurisdictions; and
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0002|          WHEREAS, because New Mexico is one of the poorest states,
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0003|     with a per capita income ranking of about forty-seventh in the
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0004|     nation, making public services such as curbside waste
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0005|     collection mandatory is unfair to low-income residents; and
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0006|          WHEREAS, many subdivisions, neighborhoods and community
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0007|     associations contract with private waste collection services,
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0008|     and mandatory public waste collection charges to residents of
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0009|     these areas is unfair because they would be paying double for
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0010|     services already provided;
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0011|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0012|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that all counties that establish mandatory
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0013|     services, such as curbside trash collection, be requested to
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0014|     provide residents the option not to participate in trash
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0015|     collection services so that low-income residents are not
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0016|     unfairly taxed and residents already paying for services are
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0017|     not unfairly treated; and
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0018|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0019|     transmitted to all boards of county commissioners.
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0020|                              
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