The proposal before the Santa Fe County Commission to raise the cost of landfill passes from the current $35 to $240, commencing July 1, is short-sighted and contrary to the best interests of the county and its residents.

The present $35 fee structure is affordable and encourages people to participate in what is presently a clean and environmentally effective waste-management program. Increasing the fees for this county service to $240, as proposed, would have a devastating effect on accessibility of a currently effective public service. The increase would be a costly mistake and would negatively impact all area residents and businesses, including those who do not currently purchase landfill passes.

The proposal would also damage our environment and our local economy. Those responsible people who spend time and fuel dollars hauling waste to the landfill to properly dispose of recyclable materials, household trash, tires, and other junk, will be faced with prohibitive cost increases. For some, these increases will make the cost out of reach. People who now take trips to the landfill to save money will be forced to join the ranks of irresponsible people who dump trash in the arroyos, along roadsides and in our rural landscapes.

Good public policy makes sense, makes essential services accessible to the people, and encourages responsible behavior. The proposed fee increase does exactly the opposite: It promises to punish those who help keep our county clean and to discourage good waste-management practices.

While proponents of the measure may cite budget issues for operation of the landfill sites as rationale for this increase, we must remember that county services are not profit-making venues and that our tax dollars support this essential public service. If we have a budget deficit, we must look toward greater operational efficiency, not to creating prohibitive costs to residents.

We will all lose out if bags of trash start appearing on our highways and street corners because we've made landfill passes too expensive for some of our residents. We will all pay the price to clean up the arroyos, roadsides and the illegal dumpsites that appear overnight. Loss of tourism dollars and further erosion of real-estate values will cost us billions for years to come as areas of the county start to look like trash-filled communities in other regions where we have chosen not to live.

The landfill-fee increases, as proposed, would be to our collective detriment. Strong and immediate public opposition is needed to oppose this fee increase. Santa Fe County residents are encouraged to telephone, e-mail and write the Santa Fe County commissioners and express opposition to the increase.

Alicia Nation, a health educator who helps people with diabetes, chronic fatigue and environmental illness improve their quality of life with natural health and holistic lifestyle, lives in Santa Fe.