September 07, 2009

Worcester Free Cash is Zero

I saw this article last week in the Telegram, click here. Here is the most disturbing line:

•Revenue generated through the sale of city trash bags came in at $685,639 under budget and $303,115 less than what the city received in fiscal 2008.

Again I think this an another example, where if you just keep increase taxes, or trash bag fees, you do not necessarily mean more income. Charging 1.50 per bag is simply too much money and many people of low to mod income are simply not buying them. Think about it 303,115 less then last year that 202,076 less bags were bought-do you think we had 202,076 less bags of trash to be disposed??

The City needs to lower these rates to not only make it more affordable for people to dispose of their trash but they would raise just as much income.

4 comments:

Sprout said...

There are lots of people who will never buy trash bags at any price. One person in my shop's neighborhood regularly takes her little CVS bags of trash and hides them all over the area...you could make bags a nickel and she, and many others, won't be buying them.

They think trash is not their problem and have no care for their world or the world around them.

Recently we had a bag of prescription medication with the names blacked out on the bottles stuffed into our dumpster. Who does that?! Also 4 tires neatly stacked by my dumpster. Why are your tires now my problem? I have an old monitor I need to get rid of, should I just leave it in someone else's yard?

Sorry, all riled up this morning! I know this is not the direction of your post. :-)

Bill Randell said...

Sprout:

There are some people, no matter the price they will not buy. I alos suffer the same problems tht you do. In fact I have told the Sign Man that I can in certain areas, I can not leave a dumpster overnight. You leave, it is half full and the next day it is topped off.

As far as going to Code, even with addresses, well you can talk to Paul Colyer about that. At $7.50 for 5 bags, I just think you priced it out of the market even for people who want to do the right thing.

Bill

Anonymous said...

always thought the bags were are a horrid idea, that people would just dump instead. we have a crew that picks up crystal park every week, its awful...guy was telling me today people just stuff their trash in the basement, stinking up the whole apartment complex. SECOND time I heard a story like that in ONE week, thanks for the stats to back it up, maybe we should call you "Stats" Randell, like the character "Stacks" Edwards in Goodfellas,

Dave M.

Bill Randell said...

On trash day in Main South drive around. There are three deckers where not 1 yellow bag is out front!!!!

Three floors of tenants and not one trash bag. You figure it out.

Bill