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Dirty Deal

This is what I was talking about last Friday. The “dirty deal” relates to the city’s trash disposal contracts. Now that it’s the top story in today’s paper, I can talk about it.

Are you yawning yet? I don’t blame you — unless you live in New Orleans. In that case, you should be angry.

Here’s the story in a nutshell: At the end of last year, the city signed some big fat garbage contracts with some local waste disposal companies. We’re paying far more than we used to, and far more than surrounding parishes. But at least the contract specified unlimited pickup of curbside debris.

So, when FEMA stopped paying for debris pickup this summer, the local companies should have taken over. But they haven’t, and we’ve all seen the result: piles of garbage rotting on the street.

One Month and Counting...

So why are the local guys not stepping up and fulfilling that part of their contract?

Because the City Council in their infinite wisdom passed an ordinance in April limiting curbside debris pickup to 25 lbs. or less.

That stinks. Mind you, we are still paying for the big fat contract. We’re just not getting what we’re paying for.

Why on earth would the council approve such a provision? Could it have anything to do with campaign contributions? Is this a dirty deal? Until I see convincing evidence to the contrary, I have to assume that it is.

We are getting screwed. The cost of debris removal is falling on the shoulders of the private citizen. My neighbor on the corner, for example, who just recently got his Road Home check, has a big debris pile sitting by his house. He will have to pay to have that debris removed. That’s only fair, except that he’s paying for it twice.

The City Council should rescind its rule that curtailed the garbage contract. Give us the service that we are paying for, or give us a refund!

Published inNew OrleansPixPolitix

57 Comments

  1. Civitch Civitch

    This couldn’t be clearer, so SHAME SHAME SHAME on the council members! Still, if the amended the contract, can’t they just un-amend it?

    Dangerblond, you’re the cat’s pajamas.

  2. Socka Socka

    BTW, did you know that you pay for city garbage collection on your SWB bill? Most people would assume then if you choose not to pay for the garbage collection that you could have your water shut off. NOT TRUE. SWB will not shut of your water if you pay their portion of the bill. Now, I don’t know if sanitation will stop collecting your garbage, but it might be a good test of the “GPS enabled bar code scannable” garbage cans (yeah, right!!)

  3. I can completely corroborrate what Socka wrote – C (my SO) hasn’t paid for garbage collection in months and has only paid for water – he has to call the SWB every month to get the garbage collections deducted but it does work…

  4. […] something about City Hall that still stinks. Debris pileups and recycling delays causes bloggers to question garbage contracts and call out mayor Nagin and Department of Sanitation Director Veronica White. […]

  5. […] Washington not to publish the e-mails as she apparently planned to do, and this is all about those garbage contracts, and the whole thing is incredibly polarized and polarizing along racial […]

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