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| Monopoly
on car washes The generosity of the Thousand Oaks car wash owners is touching. However, the proposed agreement to provide Newbury Park High School with funds, if the council outlaws mobile car washes, would set a precedent for all future fundraisers by local groups and would only guarantee them $10,000. Any future contributions would be at the whim of the car wash owners, once the council outlaws mobile car washes. The owners of the fixed location car wash facilities have continually sought to end so-called competition from outside groups and have attempted to create a mini-cartel. The vote by the council would in effect provide for the restraint of free trade in the Conejo Valley, exactly what the car wash owners want.
The complaint that water polluted with hydrocarbons, is flowing into the storm drains after washing cars with tap water appears to be a red-herring. People washing their cars at home with soapy water will produce even more pollution than the soap free car wash at the fund-raisers. Parents of current and future students at the local high schools might want to consider a boycott of the local fixed location car washes, if the harassment of local high school fund-raisers continues. The owners of the car washes seem to think they are the only source of cleaning in the Conejo Valley, they might be shocked to learn that people can still wash their own cars. by William Tenebaum, EDITOR'S NOTE: The car wash was held Saturday after the council gave its approval last Tuesday. Reprinted from News Chronicle, September 25,1991.
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