The Jefferson City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that would prohibit the distribution of unsolicited documents.
What does this mean?
Does that mean we cannot distribute information about the garbage issue? That we cannot send unsolicited messages to voters? That we cannot send letters to the editor of a local newspaper or to our council members? That we have to have permission before we can email something to someone?
What does a prohibition of the distribution of unsolicited documents mean?
One answer--click here.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
How Many People Did Not Pay Alled Waste?
Even though I hate to do this, I feel I have no choice. I would much rather be able to name names, but my informant wishes to stay anonymous--so I'm keeping him/her anonymous.
It appears one of the councilmen asked R. Graham from Allied Waste to let him know how many people did not pay. It took a week and a few emails, but here is the answer: "A little over 900 residents have not paid, but this number may be lower because some of the residents are actually vacant lots."
Furtehrmore, my informant has let me know that the city has not started prosecuting for nonpayment--remember the contract between Allied Waste and the City of Jefferson has the city enforcing payment--because of the 47 or so families the city had planned to assist with payments. Because they will not receive assistance, they are now included in the list for nonpayment.
Watch for court summons to be issued soon.
It appears one of the councilmen asked R. Graham from Allied Waste to let him know how many people did not pay. It took a week and a few emails, but here is the answer: "A little over 900 residents have not paid, but this number may be lower because some of the residents are actually vacant lots."
Furtehrmore, my informant has let me know that the city has not started prosecuting for nonpayment--remember the contract between Allied Waste and the City of Jefferson has the city enforcing payment--because of the 47 or so families the city had planned to assist with payments. Because they will not receive assistance, they are now included in the list for nonpayment.
Watch for court summons to be issued soon.
Council Meeting thiis Saturday
NOTICE OF MEETING AND CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
Special City Council Meeting
City of Jefferson, Missouri
(Council Retreat)
Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
HY-VEE, 3721 W. TRUMAN BLVD. , 2ND FLOOR MEETING ROOM
TENTATIVE AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PARTICIPATORY PLANNING
3. COUNCIL PRIORITIES
4. ADJOURNMENT
Something on the garbage issue with Allied Waste? How to assist those who cannot pay, for example?
Special City Council Meeting
City of Jefferson, Missouri
(Council Retreat)
Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
HY-VEE, 3721 W. TRUMAN BLVD. , 2ND FLOOR MEETING ROOM
TENTATIVE AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PARTICIPATORY PLANNING
3. COUNCIL PRIORITIES
4. ADJOURNMENT
Something on the garbage issue with Allied Waste? How to assist those who cannot pay, for example?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
An Open Letter From Ray Walker
From Ray Walker:
"Mr. Medin, as sponsor of the trash bill, fails to understand that there are responsible people in this city who do not need to have a city council mandating a service they do not need. During the presentations to the council and during the open houses, the issue of people using the business and apartment dumpsters to dispose of their trash was brought up several, several times and even addressed by a representative of the apartment owners association. The city staff response was that they don't have the manpower to police those illegal dumping complaints. So, here goes Mr. Medin sponsoring a bill favoring that small vested interest group, and others, to appease them as well as city staff.
"Mr. Medin also appears to have sponsored the trash bill to appease that small vested interest group that wants to inflict their minority principles on the majority of people in this city who were voluntarily doing what that group wants accomplished in the first place. But this goes one step further in that the ordinance makes it convienent for that group. They want to "save the environment" but yet only if convenient. They will not use clothes lines because they are not convenient and that would help cut down on energy demands substantially. There are other substantial ways in which they show their hypocrisy with disdain for the Americas cherished life, liberty and pursuit of happiness principles and tradition.
"This contributor regrets that the City of Jefferson has fallen prey to the big government syndrome. The trash issue, the adrain (of our current and future resources) island issue, the mandatory sidewalk issue, the convention center issue, the prison site issue, the destruction of historical neighborhood with freeway access issue, the greenway issue, the pedestrian bridge across the river issue, the new bus barn issue, the new dog pound and crematorium issueand on and on and on whilst they sit back and watch the infrastructure crumble. City staff and other special interest groups are paid to monitor how much "free" other peoples' money they can get to spend on these really fluff projects that favor special interests yet pee on the infrastructure.
"The time is past due that the city council and mayor recognize that 'Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.' (Albert Einstein.)
"Get down to basics unless there's an underlying effort to build either a legacy for some or pave the way for political futures.
"We need to have common sense in our trash bill.
"Remove mandatory use of "sole authorized collector" and the mandate to pay even if you don't use to allow the people show they really are responsible. Don't make us pay for "crimes" of a very, very few that annoy very, very few.
"There are over 1,200 households with incomes that could have possibly qualified for the indigent trash subsidy yet it would have been offered only to home-owners NOT renters because city staff somehow assumes that all renters receive some sort of government subsidy. City staff also informed the mayor and city council of an interesting definition of "household" where the number of incomes in a residence will determine the number of households are present. Make sense? Revising ordinance 14487 does make sense. Is that what city council and the mayor will attempt at HyVee this Saturday? Public is invited! Let us observe for ourselves rather than rely on second hand reports."
"Mr. Medin, as sponsor of the trash bill, fails to understand that there are responsible people in this city who do not need to have a city council mandating a service they do not need. During the presentations to the council and during the open houses, the issue of people using the business and apartment dumpsters to dispose of their trash was brought up several, several times and even addressed by a representative of the apartment owners association. The city staff response was that they don't have the manpower to police those illegal dumping complaints. So, here goes Mr. Medin sponsoring a bill favoring that small vested interest group, and others, to appease them as well as city staff.
"Mr. Medin also appears to have sponsored the trash bill to appease that small vested interest group that wants to inflict their minority principles on the majority of people in this city who were voluntarily doing what that group wants accomplished in the first place. But this goes one step further in that the ordinance makes it convienent for that group. They want to "save the environment" but yet only if convenient. They will not use clothes lines because they are not convenient and that would help cut down on energy demands substantially. There are other substantial ways in which they show their hypocrisy with disdain for the Americas cherished life, liberty and pursuit of happiness principles and tradition.
"This contributor regrets that the City of Jefferson has fallen prey to the big government syndrome. The trash issue, the adrain (of our current and future resources) island issue, the mandatory sidewalk issue, the convention center issue, the prison site issue, the destruction of historical neighborhood with freeway access issue, the greenway issue, the pedestrian bridge across the river issue, the new bus barn issue, the new dog pound and crematorium issueand on and on and on whilst they sit back and watch the infrastructure crumble. City staff and other special interest groups are paid to monitor how much "free" other peoples' money they can get to spend on these really fluff projects that favor special interests yet pee on the infrastructure.
"The time is past due that the city council and mayor recognize that 'Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.' (Albert Einstein.)
"Get down to basics unless there's an underlying effort to build either a legacy for some or pave the way for political futures.
"We need to have common sense in our trash bill.
"Remove mandatory use of "sole authorized collector" and the mandate to pay even if you don't use to allow the people show they really are responsible. Don't make us pay for "crimes" of a very, very few that annoy very, very few.
"There are over 1,200 households with incomes that could have possibly qualified for the indigent trash subsidy yet it would have been offered only to home-owners NOT renters because city staff somehow assumes that all renters receive some sort of government subsidy. City staff also informed the mayor and city council of an interesting definition of "household" where the number of incomes in a residence will determine the number of households are present. Make sense? Revising ordinance 14487 does make sense. Is that what city council and the mayor will attempt at HyVee this Saturday? Public is invited! Let us observe for ourselves rather than rely on second hand reports."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
More on Garbage--Indigent Vote
From the city council meeting:
The city council voted against the proposed indigent trash service that would have provided Jefferson City homeowners with a maximum of $7.50 per month to pay their bill. The original vote was 4-6.
From Ray Walker:
"Adrian Island passed; indigent trash service (with a twist) defeated:
"The twist? Samaritan center removed from equation; "seed money" advanced to pay the bills (max of 7.50) but the advance would be repaid with funds from the recycle things sold to New World and other details but....
"Medin's impassioned speech in support was very good, very prepared, and very sincere but failed to deliver.
"
Carrol, Medin, Penfold, Ferguson voted for; the rest, including KOON, voted NO."
The city council voted against the proposed indigent trash service that would have provided Jefferson City homeowners with a maximum of $7.50 per month to pay their bill. The original vote was 4-6.
From Ray Walker:
"Adrian Island passed; indigent trash service (with a twist) defeated:
"The twist? Samaritan center removed from equation; "seed money" advanced to pay the bills (max of 7.50) but the advance would be repaid with funds from the recycle things sold to New World and other details but....
"Medin's impassioned speech in support was very good, very prepared, and very sincere but failed to deliver.
"
Carrol, Medin, Penfold, Ferguson voted for; the rest, including KOON, voted NO."
Monday, February 1, 2010
Facebook Page
The facebook page for the garbage committee:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Committee-FOR-Jefferson-City-MO-INFRASTRUCTURE/307452674947?ref=nf
Sign up and Ray Walker continues the updates for what the committee is doing.
One question, Ray. What if you do not have a facebook page and do not want to get one? Can you send items for public consumption to this blog?
OK, two questions.
Thanks.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Committee-FOR-Jefferson-City-MO-INFRASTRUCTURE/307452674947?ref=nf
Sign up and Ray Walker continues the updates for what the committee is doing.
One question, Ray. What if you do not have a facebook page and do not want to get one? Can you send items for public consumption to this blog?
OK, two questions.
Thanks.
The fight continues...
On the front page of Saturday's News Tribune was more on the garbage issue. The article which I can no longer access (the entire article that is) quotes one individual who now pays for her garbage.
I went to the News Tribune and have the quote that is missing from the online issue:
"Pat Richardson now pays for her own service said 'It's something I have gotten used to, like any other bill. I think I have been recycling more since the switch...They [Allied Waste] have been very helpful."
Before Allied Waste, her landlord paid for garbage service. She pays for the service herself now--an additional fee for living as a renter in Jefferson City.
This just shows me how quickly we become complacent.
I wonder if the changes are actually in writing in her lease.
The article I was able to access demonstrates again the weakness of the Allied Waste contract as opposed to garbage collection in similar towns. These towns have a much better system for collecting garbage--they even collect tree limbs, leaves and glass.
If the online version of Rose Ruiz's article for the News Tribune was trying to show how good our program is, they should have left the quotes in--which I have placed above--from the Jeff City resident.
Click here to read it.
I went to the News Tribune and have the quote that is missing from the online issue:
"Pat Richardson now pays for her own service said 'It's something I have gotten used to, like any other bill. I think I have been recycling more since the switch...They [Allied Waste] have been very helpful."
Before Allied Waste, her landlord paid for garbage service. She pays for the service herself now--an additional fee for living as a renter in Jefferson City.
This just shows me how quickly we become complacent.
I wonder if the changes are actually in writing in her lease.
The article I was able to access demonstrates again the weakness of the Allied Waste contract as opposed to garbage collection in similar towns. These towns have a much better system for collecting garbage--they even collect tree limbs, leaves and glass.
If the online version of Rose Ruiz's article for the News Tribune was trying to show how good our program is, they should have left the quotes in--which I have placed above--from the Jeff City resident.
Click here to read it.
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