Fitchburg to consider 'pay-as-you-throw' - Sentinel & Enterprise

greg wrote:

<quoted text>
Actually, I'm not a Republican.
I'm not sure why you make that assumption. You seem to be suggestion that someone who is a Democrat, Green, Libertarian, or independent is incapable of asking an intelligent question?
From your statement, it appears that you believe only a Republican:
- can question the spending practices of a government
- wants the government to be accountable
- can ask a perfectly valid question
I find your line of thinking to be absurd and contradictory to the facts. The Republican Party often spents more and increases the size of government more than Democrat Party.
sonny brisebois - if you are going to take the time to post a message, please try to add something constructive and/or intelligent.
Greg (not a Republican)

"Democrat party"?

Never heard of 'em.

UhHuh wrote:

<quoted text>
"Democrat party"?
Never heard of 'em.

for your reading pleasure:

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/07/0...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_ (phrase)

all of the problems are coming from the overpayment of city employees and the benefit packages that go with them...health costs are destroying cities. Big pensions are helping destroy cities...firemen, policemen and teachers are living large and retiring at 50...who else can do the same in the private sector. They are living off of our life blood and destroying our cities and towns and eventually our states.

I live in a condo so I do not get city trash pickup. I have to pay it in my condo fee, but I'm still taxed at the exact same rate as the people who do get their trash picked up. I think this is unfair. So yes, I think this is a good idea. All of you need to face the reality that most cities and towns either have the same plan or will at some point in the future. It may not be ideal but it’s just reality. Deal with it.

city employees are glib wrote:

all of the problems are coming from the overpayment of city employees and the benefit packages that go with them...health costs are destroying cities. Big pensions are helping destroy cities...firemen, policemen and teachers are living large and retiring at 50...who else can do the same in the private sector. They are living off of our life blood and destroying our cities and towns and eventually our states.

Yeah, and even part-timers get pensions. You can serve a couple years on the school committee, city council or whatever and collect a pension. In the private sector people who work full-time are lucky to get a pension; you certainly don't get one for a part-time evening job.

greg wrote:

<quoted text>
for your reading pleasure:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/07/0...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_ (phrase)

So was your reference to the Thai, Turkish, or Brazilian political party? Or are you using the term as commonly used by the right wing lunatic fringe?

"UhHuh" - try to stay focused on the topic.

Are you "sonny brisebois" hiding behind another screen name, or is this comment boards full of people who's minds wonder aimlessly and are incapable of making intelligent contributions to the conversation?

greg wrote:

"UhHuh" - try to stay focused on the topic.
Are you "sonny brisebois" hiding behind another screen name, or is this comment boards full of people who's minds wonder aimlessly and are incapable of making intelligent contributions to the conversation?

I am not sonny, but the issue of my identity is even farther from the topic than the question you seem to be avoiding.

Discourse is a kind of a hobby of mine. I like to know why people choose to communicate the way they do and I frequently question people directly on their messages.

You will find that by the 20th response or so the opinions in these threads start repeating like a top 40 radio playlist, so I think it is not unreasonable to expect an answer to a fair and intelligent, albeit off-topic question this late in the thread.

Which connotation were you referring to?

That used by the Thai, Brazilian, Turkish, or right wing lunatic fringe?

J_in _Ward _1 wrote:

<quoted text>
Yeah, and even part-timers get pensions. You can serve a couple years on the school committee, city council or whatever and collect a pension. In the private sector people who work full-time are lucky to get a pension; you certainly don't get one for a part-time evening job.

Actually, this is a scam throughout the state. For example, regular part-time municipal employees (like someone who works at the library part-time) only get credited for the time worked (which is the way it should be) whereas Councilor, etc. get credited as though they are in a full-time job. Then all they have to do is work full-time for three years in order to get required time at the higher salary (pension is based on the average of the three highest years pay and number of years employed) and they do pretty well. This goes on throughout the state (including the legislature, many of whom served in other elected positions within their home community).

Are you seriously thinking that recycling is going to be involved? I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR 3 YEARS to get recycling bins, and everytime the **** at the board of health tells me they don't have any.

MoeMoe wrote:

Are you seriously thinking that recycling is going to be involved? I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR 3 YEARS to get recycling bins, and everytime the **** at the board of health tells me they don't have any.

You could paint the recycle logo on a regular trash can.

MoeMoe wrote:

Are you seriously thinking that recycling is going to be involved? I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR 3 YEARS to get recycling bins, and everytime the **** at the board of health tells me they don't have any.

You took the words right out of my mouth. The folks that actively try to join the city's recycling plan, can't get the bins to do it. I've also been trying for 3 years. Like everyone else, I don't need another "fee" to supplement the taxes I pay on my overvalued home. Property values have taken a nosedive, but do you think the valuations are going to follow suit? Of course not. I'd like to go to the library to research this further, but it's only open 3 days a week and this isn't one of them....

Emmeffsee wrote:

<quoted text>
You took the words right out of my mouth. The folks that actively try to join the city's recycling plan, can't get the bins to do it. I've also been trying for 3 years. Like everyone else, I don't need another "fee" to supplement the taxes I pay on my overvalued home. Property values have taken a nosedive, but do you think the valuations are going to follow suit? Of course not. I'd like to go to the library to research this further, but it's only open 3 days a week and this isn't one of them....

as I said earlier, you can use a laundry bin, you can get one of those at the dollar store for .98, you can't really be that committed!

I agree with Hark...anybody that WANTS to recycle can!

Inside Man wrote:

<quoted text>
Actually, this is a scam throughout the state. For example, regular part-time municipal employees (like someone who works at the library part-time) only get credited for the time worked (which is the way it should be) whereas Councilor, etc. get credited as though they are in a full-time job. Then all they have to do is work full-time for three years in order to get required time at the higher salary (pension is based on the average of the three highest years pay and number of years employed) and they do pretty well. This goes on throughout the state (including the legislature, many of whom served in other elected positions within their home community).

Yes I agree. Why do part time councilors get benefits. Other than them, who came up with such an idea.

Mayor Mylott trashed this city and has turned it into a ghetto. Fitchburg citizens should not be forced to accept an unfair trash fee that in essence amounts to an imposed trash tax.
Fitchburg residents are already dealing with oppressively high water and sewerage bills, high cable television rates, high Unitil gas and electric bills, high fuel transportation costs, and the lack of job opportunities in the area. Senior citizens should rally and decry this additional fee because many are already struggling to maintain their properties on fixed incomes. Many homeowners and workers in Fitchburg are trying to raise a family on minimum wage which is a tremendous challenge in itself, and most cannot afford trash fees. The City budget should not be balanced on the backs of the poor and elderly.

MoeMoe wrote:

Are you seriously thinking that recycling is going to be involved? I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR 3 YEARS to get recycling bins, and everytime the **** at the board of health tells me they don't have any.

If you go to city hall, second floor - they have stickers (free) you can put on regular trash cans to use them as recycling cans. They dont need to be a special color or size, just need to mark the barrel as recycles.

You're well intentioned in your suggestion, Tiffany, but this isn't very practical for people who work during the weekdays when City Hall is open. It's the same as getting a permit for the city landfill. You have to take time off work (and if, like me, you work at a distance from the city because of the poor job front in Fitchburg, a substantial amount of time) to get the stickers.

Why don't they mail one out to every household if they want to increase recycling?