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Waste management attempts have been negl1g1ble at best since the province last year gave the region the mandate to oversee this growing problem. Recycling is stlll not universal throughout the region, and apartments and commercial/industrial recyclmg IS minimal. There are even some cynlcs out there who believe regional engmeermg still favors building an incin. erator somewhere m the reglon as a so called solution to our waste problems, despite mounting evidence that incinera. (on Ire not safe __-- to people or the enwronment Regional government is facing what may be its rest serious teats - water supplies, growth. and waste management - and so far has teen found geriously wanting. And water Two years ago most of us prnha'm) thought water came from a tap. As "i' last Wednesday we know it doesn't come from a lawn sprinkler It's the remon f job to provide potable water to all Waterloo regional growth is out of cont trol, an Increasingly vocal (and growing) number ofeitizens are saying, with the city of Waterloo the worst offender. Regional government gets a failing grade' PAGE 6 . WATERLOO CM. MY JULY _ mo Opinion 'I call it the 'Domino Theory'. First Poland succumbs, then Hungary, then the USSR . . . Next thing you know, you and I, comrades, are taking orders from raving democrats!' And frankly, it's screwed up. Oh, sure, Waterloo and Kitchener residents were warned some years ago that there could be lawn watering restrictions from 1988 to 1992. But few paid attention. Of course. part of the problem is most of us plant lawns of Kentucky Bluegrass - a real pig of a water consumer. But it's government's job to lead, and the region should have spent a little cash starting a few years ago to convince us that there are less water.im temnve plants that are actually prettier anyway. Former Kitchener alderman Don Trav. ers lwho sat on region from 1981-88) believes the problem is staff run the region and council rubber stamps everything. arga pynicjpalitiy. City Seen Ian Kirkby Sound Emilia? That was the complaint from far too many Waterloo residents leading up tothe last muniattal election. Travers think. the committee system has a lot to do with it. People have their pet projects, he says, and pay little attention to other committees. The ream is people accept gtaff and committee reports too easily. The result is the mess we're in now, Travers has a point. But I think it goes deeper. There are 26 politicians on region. al council, including chair Ken Seiling. All regional mayors are automatic members. As well, Woolwich township elects its three members directly, as does Wilmot (2) and Cambridge (5). The problem here is the majority of regional council are dual-purpose (and generally poorly paid; politicians. Most of their time and energy is taken up dealing Kitchener elects its nine members from within its municipal council. Water. loo currently sends its top three municipal vote-getters, although with the implemen- tation of the ward system in the 1991 election the three "at-large" winners will ale? represent the city at regional council. directly. They all need to be directly accountable to an doctorate for their decisions. And they need to be able to concentrate their energies on doing a good job_at reg-1911. _ A - Not to sound 'negative, th'ere is an answer: all regional politicians (possibly gmeptjng Lhe chairman) ,lrould be elected The region doesn't get a lot of media coverage. Yet it will be making some of the most important decisions for Waterloo (and other jurisdictions) in the next dozen years. We all deserve better than tired politicos and rubber Stampers. Or government by bureaucrat. with ward or city problem. It doesnt leave much for the tort of attention required of regional inane such " water, wade, growth or childcare. Hence, inattentive and tired politicians with their mind on their home citieejult rubber stamp regional M reports. As the cities and towns have grown, so have the problems. We're at a crisis point BOW, with the most important issues since the creation of the region in 1972 facing politicians too boxy to do them. justice.