HOW THE CITY CHEATS TO MAKE MONEY

That winter storm that hit us was certainly most rough for residence of Queens County.  We got to see how many of the streets were not met with the Sanitation Department’s snow plows.  DeBlasio needs to find a way to make back the money used not just for the plows but all those extra temporary workers hired to shovel the snow. 

Although the storm didn’t fully hit until Saturday the 23^rd, we were advised by Sanitation that all garbage would not be collected but added that if you already put it out it was okay to leave it.  My street was cleared and by Sunday afternoon, the neighbors had taken care of the entire sidewalk on this block.

Across the street, where the Fire Telegraph Station is located in Forest Park, there was no problem in that sidewalk being cleared.  Somehow they are allowed to get a vehicle and attached snow plow, without a Parks Department insignia, to drive along the sidewalk from the driveway to the corner of Woodhaven Blvd.  If my neighbors drove a vehicle on the city owned-homeowner maintained sidewalk, they could have been fined.  Fine for the city…fined for the homeowner.

Sanitation workers were raking in the overtime here as the plows were at it even after the street revealed the black top and hearing nothing more than the constant sounds of scraping which just may result in our taxes going to repave the asphalt. 

Back to the garbage.  The next scheduled pickup was for Wednesday the 27^th.  Snow was melting but still a no show for garbage collection.  The recycled portion still stood atop the snow bank that included a bag with recycled plastics, etc. and cardboard boxes stored perfectly as smaller boxes in a larger box as I have done so often, without a problem, and always taken away.

With the garbage collection set for Saturday, the 30^th, all I needed to add was the regular garbage tied up in plastic bags.  No confrontation, I receive a citation attached to my door regarding the boxes not being cut and tied as well as not collected.  I peer out my window to see the boxes strewn all over and take a photo as an appearance to protest is in March.  Like all of us, I do not take photos of my garbage before it’s collected.  What’s stopping the Sanitation guy from moving things around?  And for heaven’s sake, the garbage has been piling up all over the place for days and at least done neatly!!! 

He also wrote that he observed “10 boxes filled with Styrofoam”…..really?  “I, an employee of the below agency, personally observed the commission of the civil violation charged below. False statements made herein are punishable as a class A Misdemeanor pursuant to section 210.45 of the Penal Law.  Affirmed under penalty of perjury”.  Will they be willing to penalize him? 

It is now Sunday, the 31^st as I observe the regular garbage being picked up at 1:27 p.m.  Now the Sanitation worker gets overtime?  This is all a win-win situation when it snows.  We don’t have to worry about the absence of color in this case.  We may see white, but DeBalsio sees green!!!