A current TV (and radio and newpaper) ad that torques me is by Waste Management, one of the largest nationwide trash collection corporations. They provide franchised trash service in my area.

They have resisted any kind of recycling plan in this area for years, but finally "relented" and came up with a wonderful deal:

"Get your trash collection for only Nine Dollars per month."

In the fine print (or at lower volume in media versions) they explain that "we'll give you coupons based on the amount of recyclables you put in the bin, and when you subtract the value of the coupons you've only paid nine dollars per month."

Reality:

1. You pay the regular $39 per month.

2. The businesses that are supposed to "redeem" the coupons pay Waste Management to hand them out.

3. NONE OF THE COUPONS are for anything the majority of people are going to want.

4. EVERY COUPON that I've seen is for a "discount" and requires you to buy something else - or in some cases to sign up for something you're obligated to buy later - in order to redeem it.

A look at their "coupons" when they announced the program led me to the conclusion that in order to redeem enough coupons to reach the "face value" of $30 per month you would have to spend an additional $280 plus the $39 trash fee, each and every month.

(We have a very low rate of participation in recycling here, and it isn't even because very many people here know how to spell FRAWD.)

John