Mineral commissioners back bottle-deposit bill

Editor's note: The following letter was sent to W.Va. Gov. Joe Manchin and submitted to the Times-News:
Dear Gov. Manchin:
We are privileged to petition you to include a beverage deposit bill in your 2006 legislative agenda. Lending your leadership to this important initiative would make it happen and would add significant impetus to your Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan. West Virginia would really shine!

Acknowledging your commitment to results-based governance, we would offer the medical model. That profession has finally realized how important it is to base therapeutic decisions on outcomes-research and best-practice consensus. If the desired outcome is to cure pneumonia in the shortest time with the fewest complications and greatest economy, look at the experience of others who have achieved that outcome. This is the best practice.

So it is with public policy. If our expected outcome is to keep West Virginia as clean as it can possibly be, is there evidence about the best way to do this? Absolutely. It is not to teach people how to pick up after their neighbors, even though this is a laudable objective. Eleven other states have proven that incentives work the best. It takes carrots to change behavior. So, the best practice is a deposit law based on the success of others. The bonus is that each community has the opportunity to develop a new small business, a redemption and recycling center.

Another very important outcome from this initiative will be to provide yet another reason to have pride in our beautiful state. West Virginia does not have to reinvent the wheel. But we do have to act on what is already known and have the courage and foresight to change the status quo.

We feel very fortunate that you are the governor who can do this.

December 8, 2005

By Cindy Pyles and Wayne C. Spiggle, Mineral County Commissioners