More New Yorkers Make Less Garbage

Usually, the more people a city has, the more garbage a city must collect. New York is no usual city though. Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty is puzzled by the stats he sees. Could they be real or garbage? You decide. Between fiscal years 2005-2008, the city’s population grew by up to 50,000 per year but household refuse collection dropped 5.5%. Recycling pickups dropped 7.1%. There are plenty of suggested explanations but nobody can really explain. The city spends about $100 a ton to get rid of residential garbage and roughly $57 a ton to rid itself of recyclables. Whatever the reason/s for the numerical oddities, these trash truths are welcome news to a city with a budget that’s full of garbage and that needs to be recycled to meet our obligations.

▼
IMPORTANT NOTE: This piece was written today about an older New York City news headline. NYCo site delays prevented its publication before now. In an effort to entertain and educate this blog’s devoted viewers, 100’s of older headlines will be posted in chronological order until this blog is discussing current events again. Though some stories may no longer be as relevant as they once were, they remain interesting news items worthy of mention and viewer comments.

[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments and reply to others. This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]

Scoop Poop Or Pay More For Manure

The fine for cleaning up after your dog will rise from $100 to $250 if New York Governor Paterson signs the bill into law. City Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said, “It sends a strong message to all dog owners about the seriousness of the law and their responsibility to comply.” This sh*t has got to end! I recognize it’s our duty to pick up our pet’s doody but let’s get real here. Is $250 reasonable punishment for a possible doggie--dump accident or mental lapse? It may be time to teach the old dog a new trick (see below). Then, let the city get it's money from some other asshole.