Regarding the Aug. 7 letter by Gerald M. Kulage about St. Louis County’s trash-districting plan, communism always sounds best at first glance, but when you look deeper and see that “bureaucracy” is being substituted for free enterprise, you lose in the long run and destroy “free enterprise,” which made America great.

Bureaucracy is defined as “a body of non-elective government officials — adherency to fixed roles and hierarchy of authority — marked by officialism, red tape and proliferation.” Free enterprise is defined as “freedom of private business — competitive system — to protect public interest and to keep the national economy in balance.” Creative, hardworking and productive, subject to the customers’ good will for service.

I have a nephew — with a wife and two children — in another city who started a trash-hauling business with one truck several years ago, expanded from there on a competitive basis and supports his family.

If his city or county starts a St. Louis County-type trash-districting plan, he will not be able to compete with the large trash haulers and their fleet of trucks.

He will be out. That is not America — but communism at work.

I know politicians like power, feed on it, grow on it, feel good about programs they start — but politicians, set your egos aside.

Please keep St. Louis County from communistic trends and support what made America great through freedom and free enterprise.

Darold E. Nelson

Concord