Funds should go to recycling

To the editor:

I wish to thank Mr. Ray Cooney for his Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, editorial titled “Recycling grant should be returned.”

It would seem to me to be quite improper to be spending the grant money on something for other than what it was intended. 

I realize that politicians believe that any funds under their control are deemed theirs to make use of, no matter whether they are earmarked for a specific purpose or not. It seems rather unethical to be using recycling grant money for anything but recycling.

Since the curbside recycling has been eliminated, for the present, any money held for that purpose should be returned to the donor, and should not be used for anything else. The only other option would be to give it to another community that does have curbside recycling, and not kept and spent by the local government.

I do not think our local government officials wish to appear as though they are willing to do anything that could cause them to look like anything but doing what is proper for the community. It may make things a bit tight financially, for the community, but it seems like the thing to do to look like the community wishes to appear to be operating properly.

Sincerely,

Daniel E. Chase

Portland