If Big Waste threatens to raise residential rates to coerce voter influence upon the council-counter with your own business community clout who should be upset at the increase in commercial disposal rates to subsidize the residential ratepayer. You can also suggest to a friendly council member that the council can audit Big Waste s expenses-like the fair rent it pays to its parent company for the land where Big Waste has its transfer station, and save money that way for the ratepayers. If you or other allies are unionized, involve your unions, which will lose jobs if you go out of business. Big Waste involves its union. Do what Big Waste usually can not do at council meetings-bring lots of supporters.
Council members perceive bodies in the audience and speakers as voters.
Give council and staff data showing your economic and environmental contribution to the community. Make the decision for the council to keep you in business an easy one. Cultivate the news media. Recycling is popular feature material for print and television media. Hire legal counsel if necessary to give the city legal reasons why it cannot legislate you out of business.