One alderman sent a note: While initially expensive, these cans will provide for automation which will save money in the long term.
Update #2. the author of this story needs to do more research. Some of the facts stated are not correct. I’m told there is no $50 fee. Also, statements and quotes are either taken out of context or totally false.
Illinois nanny city now requiring $50 trash cans
The City of Bloomington, which thinks it knows how to run taxi cabs and when you should mow your lawn, now knows better than you how big your trash can should be.
This city of about 76,000 people in central Illinois is now requiring residents buy $50 trash cans, with an emphasis on the 96-gallon size.
Bloomington’s city council on Monday approved spending $950,000 to buy 19,000 trash cans, and those costs will be passed on to residents.
“The city looked at best practices and safe work conditions for the employees and made the choice to go with (automated collections),” Alex McElroy the assistant to Bloomington’s city manager, told Illinois Watchdog. “The main goal is not to have employees getting out of the truck regularly.”
Bloomington had thought about privatizing its garbage collection as recently as April, but after the city’s public employee unions balked, the city council caved.
In that quantity those TRASH CANS should have been 5 bucks each. I smell something that sticks to high heaven and it ain’t TRASH!
I don’t usually quote FDR but in this case:
“The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power” — Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 29, 1938. Message to congress.
How do we as citizens save money (in the long run) when; 1) all of our current garbage cans will become,,,garbage? 2) that many of these garbage cans end up in the landfill. Is that sustainable? 3) that the $950,000 (plus interest?) new tax will be sent out of town when it could have employed a man for 10+ years that would have kept the money local. 4) that I am real tired of the constantly added taxes and loss of liberty in this town and state and like MANY other people I know, may very well move and take our tax dollars with us. The state of IL sucks!