| Author |
Message |
    
buzzsaw
Citizen
Username: Buzzsaw
Post Number: 1687
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 2:17 pm: | 
|
Check this story out. My favorite line is "a cheap attempt to embarrass Newark."
We can all rest easy knowing our neighbor has air conditioned garbage trucks ready to protect us.
http://1010wins.com/topstories/local_story_074114018.html |
Cato Nova
Citizen
Username: Cato_nova
Post Number: 526
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 2:20 pm: |
|
"can double as barricades."
Amazing. This is what happens when poor people are allowed to govern themselves. They use local office as a means of economic advantage rather than for the public good. Also, because they themselves are not successful, they lack management and governance skills.
Newark should be put under receivership, and some people from the business world asked to give up a few years and manage it properly. |
jet
Citizen
Username: Jet
Post Number: 784
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 2:41 pm: |
|
The BA of Newark, Dick Monteih is actualy quoted in the SL saying that the trucks can be used to remove debris like body parts. I just envision this guy to be Jackie Childs of Sienfeld fame. No wonder the feds cut the money , they know someone in this state will either steal it or misuse it. |
Sgt. Pepper
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 755
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 3:16 pm: |
|
I think I'll ask the Feds for $250k in anti-terror funding so I can buy a Lamborghini. I'll be happy to use it as a barricade any time they want me to. |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 698
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 3:39 pm: |
|
 |
Cato Nova
Citizen
Username: Cato_nova
Post Number: 527
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 3:41 pm: |
|
At least they didn't siphon the money off to pay for an arena for a sport not patronized by any Newark residents, for a team currently not playing, and that when it did play, lost money even though it was extremely successful.
I think it is time that we cut Newark off completely, like the Feds did with DC a few years ago, and put them into receivership. Newark is a kleptocratic morass. |
notehead
Supporter
Username: Notehead
Post Number: 2150
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 3:46 pm: |
|
Unfortunately, they don't make chainsaws large enough that we could actually cut Newark off and set it adrift. |
juju's petals
Citizen
Username: Jujus_petals
Post Number: 38
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 7:15 pm: |
|
Does anyone else hear the Sopranos theme music? |
doublea
Supporter
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 949
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 7:52 pm: |
|
http://www.newarkspeaks.com/ |
buzzsaw
Citizen
Username: Buzzsaw
Post Number: 1692
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 10:02 pm: |
|
Sopranos theme!?! This is more the theme from the twlight zone or to a lesser extent he-haw.
wow. that newarkspeaks is like the bizarro world. |
The Libertarian
Citizen
Username: Local_1_crew
Post Number: 605
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 11:47 pm: |
|
Amazing. This is what happens when poor people are allowed to govern themselves.
what a dead giveaway! so much for a classless society of equals. i bet you live by the motto, "a good servant is a silent one". |
e roberts
Citizen
Username: Wnwd00
Post Number: 332
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 8:42 am: |
|
you know in my expierence in physical security I would almost have to agree with the idea that a garbage truck is a good physical barrier, and while im sure that is not the intention of the purchase, the use of the trucks as barrier devices is in my mind an acceptable security practice, especially in a situation where some asset needs to be somehow protected almost immediately before jersey barriers and other devices can be bought in.
|
steel
Citizen
Username: Steel
Post Number: 645
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 9:17 am: |
|
I recall seeing dumptrucks filled with sand used as barriers by the police at the New York RNC convention.
I agree with Cato Nova's line above that "This is what happens when poor people are allowed to govern themselves", -though not in the utterly "amazing" fashion he would have it. -The article tells of an amazingly brilliant, and "successful" way to get new garbagetrucks, -a needed purchase that will actully be useful for "the public good". It demonstrates the sort of creative ingenuity and "managment skills" in taking advantage of government legislation usually reserved by the rich in order to scam the poor.
There are many ways to be "successful".
PS: I am also intrigued by the disparaging remark about the trucks being "air conditioned". -Is not your car air conditioned? Is not your office air conditioned? Are drivers of trucks somehow supposed to sweat uncomfortably so that others may feel what? |
steel
Citizen
Username: Steel
Post Number: 646
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 9:45 am: |
|
 |
Cato Nova
Citizen
Username: Cato_nova
Post Number: 528
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 10:37 am: |
|
Steel:
If only I had such a luxuriant mane.
Why is any expression of elitism, no matter how justified, met with such scorn? The truth is that some people are simply better at some things than other people. That includes governance. Why would you expect the poor, who would have little experience with budgets, management, etc. to be good at government? That's almost as silly as expecting celibate men to be qualified to opine about female sexuality. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 1902
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 10:59 am: |
|
Actually poor people often have much greater experience with budgets and managing since they have to make do with so much less. How does a family manage to feed, clothe and shelter a family of four on $20K today? Could you or I? The federal government says that is just above the poverty level in the 48 contiguous states http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/05poverty.shtml So don't expect to qualify for much of anything in the way of assistance.
Here's a piece of info for those who still think that poor people are just single women with scads of babies or men unwilling to work:
If two adults are working full-time at minimum wage ($5.15) their combined incomes would be $20,600.
Cathy |
buzzsaw
Citizen
Username: Buzzsaw
Post Number: 1693
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 12:13 pm: |
|
The air conditioning remark was not supposed to be disparaging - I would catagorize it as discriptive language.
I worked in Essex County for three years in a garbage truck. Ours was not air conditioned. None were. I find no pleasure in people being uncomportable in their job.
Sure I am currently employed in a space with climate control. I wish I was a farmer and not in an cube.....but that's another story.
The issue is possible misuse of funds. |
Sgt. Pepper
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 759
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 1:04 pm: |
|
Main Entry: de·moc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: di-'mä-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Etymology: Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek dEmokratia, from dEmos + -kratia -cracy
1 a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections
2 : a political unit that has a democratic government
3 capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the U.S.
4 : the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority
5 : the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges
Main Entry: ar·is·toc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: "ar-&-'stä-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Etymology: Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French aristocratie, from Late Latin aristocratia, from Greek aristokratia, from aristos best + -kratia -cracy
1 : government by the best individuals or by a small privileged class
2 a : a government in which power is vested in a minority consisting of those believed to be best qualified b : a state with such a government
3 : a governing body or upper class usually made up of an hereditary nobility
4 : the aggregate of those believed to be superior
So, Cato Nova, which of the above do you think we're living in? |
argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 547
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 1:32 pm: |
|
The problem is you can't make a judgement about a person's ability to manage money based on their personal net worth. Easy examples come to mind on both sides -- the single mother who feeds and clothes 3 kids on a paltry paycheck, vs the cokehead trust fund child who never had to worry about money in his life, to state two terribly cliche, and extremely obvious, examples.
It is true there are people who are more skilled at some things than others. The problem arises when you make that assumption based on socioeconomic class rather than individual ability.
Really, I can't believe I'm even typing this. Isn't it obvious? I mean, really, seriously, DUH guys.
|
steel
Citizen
Username: Steel
Post Number: 647
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 4:17 pm: |
|
Expressions of elitism are most fervently met with scorn when they are based on false assertions.
It should be widely recognized that history and present circumstances are replete with examples of leader's wealth being a poor indicator of good governance if you correctly measure good governance by how faithfully and well a leader serves the widest possible constituency.
If we see more leaders who have wealth as not, it is sadly more often due to the grace that having such wealth more easily allows one to come to public view, and that those who seek the seat of government too often see it as a means to further seek the accumulation of power and wealth of which they are so fond. It is doubly sad that such leaders often view such accumulation alone as "success".
To further the previous analogy: -It is as woeful as the man who boasts of the number of women he has bed rather than considering how well he has pleased those he has. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 768
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 1:05 pm: |
|
Well, someone once said "Quantity has a quality all its own."  |
Lotts of guns
Citizen
Username: Lotts_of_guns
Post Number: 5
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 2:43 pm: |
|
I don't get it - isn't Sharpe James governing Newark? He is not poor is he ? So what is with the "poor" remarks?
That and the fact the we are democracy has me puzzled by Catos comments |
Cato Nova
Citizen
Username: Cato_nova
Post Number: 530
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 4:55 pm: |
|
Upon reviewing the arguments above, and the news coverage, I have come to the conclusion that I was in fact initially wrong, that it was wise for Newark to get what it could from the feds, and that it was smart to purchase something that is multi-use. |
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 993
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 6:57 pm: |
|
Being rich or poor doesn't have much to do with stealing.
People who steal are thieves, and thieves never have enough.
A thief is always looking to steal, can't pass the (proverbial) door handle without rattling it.
Newark (unfortunately) has more than it's share of people who take advantage of the system.
However, in this case I don't think that spending some money on improving garbage trucks isn't legit as far as a terrorist attack goes.
If a city is shut down because of terrorism, one of the first considerations is to prevent the spread of disease and vermin. If garbage festers for a week, that's a lotta rats. WIth rats comes panic and disease.
In a city with a large portion of it's population living in apartments w/out cars, efficient garbage disposal is a vital ingredient in that city's infrastructure.
If anyone remembers the garbage strikes in the 1970's in NYC, it doesn't take long to realize the garbage collectors deserve to be heralded along with the police and fire fighters as the real heroes of NYC.
|
e roberts
Citizen
Username: Wnwd00
Post Number: 337
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Friday, March 18, 2005 - 8:20 am: |
|
lydia,
while i agree with you please dont forget emergency medical services EMT's and Paramedics |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page