1. Apparently, scavenging is a problem both on the street and according to CP Gary Hansen, at the landfill.
2. Jim Frederick seems to feel that anyone who has enough gumption to go scavenge through recycle bins at 5 in the morning for nickels should be allowed to do it.
3. According to Scheffler, there is no mess at the curbside bin site as a result of the scavenging that he has seen.
4. Council tables discussion.
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So if someone comes and takes an item off my curb that I had bought a sticker for to be taken away during clean-up week (scavenging), that is okay, because it makes the city money for doing nothing. But if someone comes and takes pop/beer cans off my curb, that is not okay, because it takes the money out of someone else's pocket? Who is getting the short end in both of these deals? The individual.
ReplyDeleteIsn't taking an appliance off of someone's yard that is put there for the purpose of being taken to the landfill, in fact, scavenging?
I agree with Jim Frederick. If you have the gumption to get up and do it, and you don't make a mess, go for it.
If we criminalize this activity, we should also criminalize picking up items off the curb that have a sticker for the city-wide garbage day instead of looking at it as free revenue for the city.
Ok, let me understand this correctly, the Howard Center is losing revenue because someone else is taking the cans from recycling tubs? Wow, this must be a big revenue loss for them to want to address it this way because you know if someone else is taking the cans those people are probably turning them in to the Howard Center for redemption in the end anyway. Basically the Howard Center is only getting $0.01 per can that way instead of $0.06 if they can claim them from the recycling, and cut out the little "scavengers." Good business model, put your competition under the policemen's watchful eye!! More government intervention is what is good for all of us!
ReplyDeleteI never thought about the private business aspect. I wonder who actually suggested that this be a law?
ReplyDeleteCurt, why don't you dig into this for us and find out who stands to profit the most.
ReplyDelete...that could be an interesting answer...
ReplyDeleteCan we get an amount of money that the howard center is losing? Maybe in tough economic times people are actually returning their own cans. Maybe its not scavenging at all and its people being more frugal about their spending habits. How can the howard center be sure that people are scavenging, didn't Bob say there was no mess by the boxes?
ReplyDeleteI put my cans in the recycle, on occasion, for the "can man" to pick up. That is my full intention. I give him props for walking around town picking them up.
ReplyDeleteIf I put something in the recycling bin that's worth a nickel if someone takes it for redemption, doesn't that seem to indicate that I don't want the nickel, and if that's the case, what on earth is wrong with Ty or someone coming by and taking it out? I truly don't see the problem.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the same as putting an appliance out and someone takes it.
ReplyDelete...IS THIS ENTIRE LAW BEING CONSIDERED JUST BECAUSE OF THE GUY WHO PULLS THAT WAGON AROUND???!!!
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me? Is the entire city council and mayor getting ready to gang up on this one lone guy?
Someone please tell me there's whole fleet of wagon pulling dudes out there that are causing them to go through the trouble to make an entire permanent law... 'cause I just don't want to believe that our city council is capable of being such incredible acaves!
If they DO turn this into a law, I hope somebody snaps a picture of the police confronting this one lone guy so we can be reminded for all time what incredibly complex lengths our city council will go to f with people they don't like.
...you know, I do see that guy up in the Mayor's neighborhood frequently. I just would not be suprised at all if that was the motivation.
Outrageous.
...Sorry to double post. I was just getting ready to chop supervisor vids and the actual proposed law caught my eye. It turns out that as proposed, each and every $0.05 can would be a separate offense punishable with a fine of min $20.00 and max. $100.00 + cost of prosecution. Every single can.
ReplyDeleteThat is insane. What exactly is the rationale for this? What actual harm is being done, and to whom?
ReplyDeleteI understand not being able to rummage through other people's garbage. The law is there for a reason, to protect our privacy, since garbage contains items that are private or sensitive (medical statements, bank statements, bills, empty prescription bottles, letters, or anything else you don't want others to know about).
ReplyDeleteBut the recycling box is completely different. There is no assumption of privacy when you set your recyclables out to be sorted through and recycled. When was the last time you put any sensitive information in the recycling box? I hope the answer is never.
Yes Curt, I think this is being brought up mostly because of "the guy who pulls that wagon around". They are getting outwitted AND outworked by a man who has a bit of a deficiency, so they try to outlaw what he is doing.
I say god bless the man for not simply living off the taxpayers' dime, and trying to better his life however he can.
Then what I will do is bag up my cans and make a separate bag with his name on it. :)
ReplyDeleteto Sharla,
ReplyDeletethe howard center is the one who is out of money today and wants to push to have something done about losing revenue on cans.
Curtis,
ReplyDeleteJust curious, how has traffic at the site been today? Is it higher than normal due to the subject of our ongoing discussion? Lower than normal or the same as always? Thanks
The Guru
maybe the Howard Center should start taking cans in again huh?
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to the video it seems clear to me that city government is not crazy about passing this new law. I take this as being a situation where the howard center asked for the law to be considered so it was. We always seem to complain that they don't do enough discussion at council meetings and here they are talking about an issue that they obviously don't support. Isn't that what we want our government to do, talk about it in the open?
ReplyDelete