The Observation Deck

On a different thread, JOB wrote:
"Right now they are looking at privatizing garbage, and they will care even less. I have been told, that this thread is one being used by management to prove, they need to privatize."

If that's true, I'd like this to be included in the consideration:

I am absolutely against the privatization of trash collection. I believe the system we have works well and we get good value for what we invest in it.

Who's with me? Feel free to weigh in.

Paul Schrimpf wrote:On a different thread, JOB wrote:
"Right now they are looking at privatizing garbage, and they will care even less. I have been told, that this thread is one being used by management to prove, they need to privatize."

If that's true, I'd like this to be included in the consideration:

I am absolutely against the privatization of trash collection. I believe the system we have works well and we get good value for what we invest in it.

Who's with me? Feel free to weigh in.

Paul

Would you prefer a tax raise? Someone will have to pay the bill, and well while we have solstice steps*, we are going to lose a lot of city services.

You see, we have been played for sometime now.

*Solstice steps were put there to get you to vote for the mayor. That is why they were hurried, ill conceived, and a stolen idea. Did you never wonder, why the Solstice Steps ground breaking was two weeks before the election instead on a solstice?

I would prefer the tax increase.

.

I agree. I am against privatization as well.

No! Let us go back to the days we had men working hard to keep our city clean, they would be hot in the summer and we would always give them a drink of cold water.

I can remember when they would get the trash from the back yard. It really did not bother me when they cancelled that service. Most of us could use a little exercise any way. I think our trash collectors are the hardest working men and women at city hall. I can't imagine trying feverishly to finish my assigned route now that Lakewood trash is permitted to sit out 24/7, 365. At least one truck or cushman breaks down on a daily basis, usually more than one. I am for keeping ANY city service and employees that we have left. Does anyone remember when we had just about every service here in the city done by city employees? Lakewood sure did look great.

Privatization ironically ends up costing the end user more. Just ask anybody who lives in an outlying suburb with private garbage pick up and you'll find their dollar cost is greater than with public.

Sort of like the twisted logic that says that lower taxes means increased income. Lower taxes means less revenues pure and simple.

At the Democratic Club Meeting this past Thursday, I asked Mayor Summers about any plans to privatize city services. Mayor Summers stated (to the filled Women's Pavillion) that there were no talks or plans to privatize city services and went on for the next several minutes about the great job our city workers do, especially the sanitary/garbage collectors. He clearly said city services would NOT be privatized.

So mark the date down...Thursday, May 26th, 2016 and when our city services begin to be executed by private companies, we can check public records to determine that the city was already speaking to the private sector and not being transparent about their intentions. (Again!)

Pam Wetula wrote:At the Democratic Club Meeting this past Thursday, I asked Mayor Summers about any plans to privatize city services. Mayor Summers stated (to the filled Women's Pavillion) that there were no talks or plans to privatize city services and went on for the next several minutes about the great job our city workers do, especially the sanitary/garbage collectors. He clearly said city services would NOT be privatized.

So mark the date down...Thursday, May 26th, 2016 and when our city services begin to be executed by private companies, we can check public records to determine that the city was already speaking to the private sector and not being transparent about their intentions. (Again!)

As I recall, he also talked about how efficient the Lakewood system/department was compared to others.

Pam Wetula wrote:At the Democratic Club Meeting this past Thursday, I asked Mayor Summers about any plans to privatize city services. Mayor Summers stated (to the filled Women's Pavillion) that there were no talks or plans to privatize city services and went on for the next several minutes about the great job our city workers do, especially the sanitary/garbage collectors. He clearly said city services would NOT be privatized.

So mark the date down...Thursday, May 26th, 2016 and when our city services begin to be executed by private companies, we can check public records to determine that the city was already speaking to the private sector and not being transparent about their intentions. (Again!)

I heard the mayor deny ANY privatization plans too, Pam. There must be rumors going around otherwise you wouldn't have asked that specific question right? Others have obviously heard the same thing, hence this thread. Were we served another lie from Summers? Remember that "past behavior indicates future behavior".

For the past several months, all you have to do is drive down the streets of Lakewood and look at what companies are doing the work. When I first moved to Lakewood twenty-some years ago, almost everything was done by city workers who did a much better job. It appears Lord and Company have contracted out the majority of the work. Presumably to friends?

You can't even walk down most sidewalks now without hitting your head on the tree lawn tree branches. I believe the last I knew, we only had about three people working in forestry. And the usual, broken down trucks and radios and sometimes no radios at all.

Out of control inflating of some persons salaries at city hall, a $900,000 fiber-optic phone system, and the loss of millions of the tax payers money by getting into a bogus hospital deal that does not benefit the citizens of Lakewood, but sure appears to benefit a lot of Lord and Company's friends.

All this and we get to drive on pot hole filled streets, see an increase in heroin and crime, and we get to look at graffiti and garbage 24/7,365.

at least we're now saving $92,000 with Dru Siley leaving . .. . .