There's wisdom in the instinct to finish what you started, particularly when the start is so promising and when the goal of the project is so critical.

Curbside recycling is something O'ahu clearly wants; the voters took the extraordinary step of endorsing the establishment of islandwide curbside recycling as part of an amendment to the City Charter. So far, the communities that have been phased in have embraced the new routine, and the city is 60 percent of the way to completing the conversion.

It would be an unfortunate decision by the City Council to postpone the final phase serving much of West O'ahu, even granting the difficulty of balancing the budget in a recessionary climate.

The City Council has issued its latest draft of the operating budget for 2009-2010. The council has attempted to close a $50 million shortfall in revenue, caused by the economic downturn, through various tax and fee hikes and budget cuts, including $6 million for the purchase of new recycling bins needed for communities from Waikele to Makua.

While it's understandable that this represented a large chunk of cash and a helpful part of the budget equation for the short term, the postponement of curbside recycling is a missed opportunity in the long run. Operationally, curbside programs save on the additional pickups communities otherwise need for green waste; recycling has enabled most residents to manage their waste load enough to keep it within the regular twice-weekly service.

The city needs to consider operational savings: The economy, and city revenues, are not expected to recover quickly, and missing a chance for improved efficiency and sustainability may prove to be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

The council needs to review other potential cuts. Could the $22 million for Waimanalo Gulch landfill improvements be reduced, perhaps? Or could various user fees already proposed be adjusted upward to yield more revenue?

Finding another solution would be preferable to denying an important municipal program to the very district of the island that is growing the fastest, and has potentially the greatest impact on efforts to reduce the waste stream.