On Tuesday OIB published a news release from Mayor Bill Finch regarding his summer jobs conservation corps program. Former city councilman Tom White offers a few suggestions for how the kids could be utilized.
Mayor Finch’s conservation corp participants (and future campaign workers) would be more productive if they were performing tasks that have an immediate (and real) impact on Bridgeport. An example I suggest is removing illegally placed signs on utility poles that project a terrible image of the city and are a violation of city ordinance and state statute.
Another is removing litter and weeds from major roads to improve the appearance of the city and report the property owners for violating city ordinances requiring they maintain their property.
Attached are two photos of examples today. I noticed the number of utility poles with illegally posted signs is much reduced from a couple of weeks ago. Thank you to city workers or utility crews (more likely) for your efforts.
To add to Tom White’s list, how about painting fire hydrants as most are now turning rust-colored from lack of maintenance.
Painting fire hydrants goes as far back as Mayor John Mandanici and it’s good idea but they do need an adult to make sure the hydrant can be opened after they’re painted.
Tom, I agree 100 percent. I took a walk to get a cup of coffee on Main St. last evening. The litter is horrendous in front of businesses. The litter, sign pollution, disintegrating curbs and roads give a sorry impression for Bridgeport’s gateway to Trumbull. Paying students to clean the litter and get rid of weeds, brilliant and money well spent. The impact would be immediate and appreciated.
When I was young I worked for the corner grocer after school and on weekends. One of the first tasks I performed when I came in was to police the area around the store and pick up any trash laying around. Also did same at close of business as well. It appears most of today’s small-business owners could not care less what the area in front of their stores looks like. But it is also ignorant morons who think nothing of tossing bags of fast-food trash and other items from their cars as they drive down city streets. No pride. No class.
I agree, however is there a union issue? When I was a teamster (flight attendant), we were not allowed to clean airplanes between flights because of union contracts, which was essentially looking in seat-back pockets for trash and putting full garbage bags off the airplane onto the jetway.
What union issue? Are you looking to make an issue where none exists? In your case as a flight attendant it was in a closed work environment. Please don’t try to tell me AFSCME is going to grieve Joe the minimart owner from sweeping his front walk and curb. Often times public works employees are shoveling sand against the tide. I have seen firsthand where an area was cleaned and in a couple of days had been trashed as bad as before. I admit more effort and better direction of resources could improve things.
I am not trying to make an issue. I think Tom, Andy and Ron have great ideas, real needed work for kids to do. My question was, is the program limited to what is allowed?
And volunteers or property owners organizing and cleaning a park, a beach or their own sidewalks is not the same as paying someone with city $$$ for a job covered in city contracts. I am either giving the mayor the benefit of the doubt or his talking points about why the duties of this job program is canvassing and not the jobs described by Tom.
The mayor’s press release gave no detail of the funding source for the ‘conservation corps.’ If it were a grant for ‘education,’ I would assume there are limitations on the program. Why is there no detail of the funding? Is it from the general fund? If so, is it appropriate use of taxpayer money? Maybe the city council will request some details at the next council meeting? Sure.
Between summer jobs and upcoming primaries, this blog can get pretty stressful. Let’s take a break by looking at two local heroes–one known and the other newer.
www .Only1canbethebest.com
Good things start (or get renovated) in Bridgeport.
(wink)