Residents in Kirkby will have seen the new blue Bins which will be delivered by Knowsley Councils workers over the next few days to all households in Kirkby. The bins will be used to recycle paper including newspapers, magazines, junk mail (Knowsley Council are BIG wasters of paper) and white telephone directories - but not yellow ones.(its possible the yellow pages company recycles these as it means money) In Dublin they pay a 'bin tax' and as the Council is actually jailing people who refuse to pay the 'bin tax' - could this happen here?

How much goes back into the public purse with the recycling scheme?

Knowsley Council inform us that they recycled 2,700 tonnes of paper last year, a quick search on the internet reveals that the recycling business is a lucrative one and in the USA, the Worlds biggest recycler of newspaper - Abitibi Recycling- (website here)collects and weighs waste paper which is collected on trucks. A monthly statement detailing the amount of paper collected for the month is usually accompanied by a check for the amount collected over the minimum of two tons. In short - Knowsley Council are making money from recycling but will the profits be ploughed back into the public purse, and have the Councillors here actually bargained with the recyclers to get the best deal available?

The Council has delivered the bins on a scale of 1 per household - But some residents in Pensioners blocks complained that delivering 6 bins was unnesesary and that there was little room with the other bins. Remember that some pensioner flats have a garden the size of the average house garden - maybe smaller, plus as mostly single people live there, they may not need a bin each - the lads delivering have been told to deliver a bin per household - don't have a go at them. Maybe Knowsley Council may care to survey tenants on these matters.

Irish Councillors nicked for refusing Bin tax!

THE JAILING of Joe Higgins TD and Cllr Clare Daly for opposing a bin tax in Ireland is a scandal. Millionaire tax dodgers go free but two public representatives with the courage of their convictions who stand up for working class people are sent to Mountjoy Jail. These jailings must not be allowed to continue. The defeat of the bin charges in the South of Ireland would also be a victory for working people in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Campaigns are presently being built across the North of Ireland to organise non-payment of the planned water charges which are also designed to financially cripple working class people even further.

More here on the anti bin tax campaign

Note - How many Knowsley Councillors would go to jail on a matter of principle? - Answer - None of them - they would NOT stand up for anyone but themselves the proof is all over this website- luckily there days are numbered in Council chambers. One things for certain - it's time we binned the Labourites up here. Nothing personal - you hold a membership card of a Party which has ruled Kirkby since the days of Tempest and his criminal activities - nothings changed - contracts are STILL not put out to tender - ask Liverpool FC about that one. Kirkby has seen public money spent with utter recklessness and little accountability. And the sick thing is - there is a plaque still bearing Tempests name in the Kirkby Civic Buildings. It must be removed. No longer can we build on the corrupt foundation of the past. Its time to sack Labour.

Note - Any Green Party members in Kirkby are welcome to comment on this and other environmental issues of which you have greater knowledge of than me. Could anyone standing for next years Council Election also bear in mind that Kirkby Times will be happy to give YOU space to state your case. Thanks

Thanks to Knowsley Councils workers for delivering the bins despite appalling weather - it would be nice to see the bosses dragged out to graft for a bit! - or just dragged out and sacked for being useless.