Friday Afternoon Diversion
Jay-Z Announces 2010 Tour Dates. Chicago Not On List.
"Batman" Headline Is a Stretch, But Prison Escape Story Could Be Its Own Movie
Grates To Tear Up Schubas
Chili Cook-Off Countdown
Swamped by citizen complaints, cranky aldermen, and a whole lot of snow, Mayor Daley has finally relented and put the city back on its regular snow plow plan. His controversial plan to cut back on side street plowing and avoid overtime pay proved quite unpopular as it made driving hazardous and dangerous all over the city.
"Unfortunately, it didn't work out very well," Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Michael Picardi told aldermen at a Tuesday hearing on the subject. "Now that we are in the extreme winter months of January and February, we know that we are going to have to plow and spread salt as we always have and as we did last year. So, we should expect then a significant increase in service on side streets in future snows."Ald. Ray Suarez (31st) told Picardi, "The calls I've been getting have not been nice, and the language they have been using has not been nice. The residents of Chicago expect the streets to be salted, and when they are not salted, they can cost an election. And you are starting to get back into the groove, and that's what we want to see." The cutback was an effort to save money on overtime as snowy winters the past few years cost the city $30 million in 2007 and $33.7 million in 2008 (including $8 million just in December). Ald. Tom Allen (36th) one of the most vocal critics of Daley's plan, said, "This was public safety, and we screwed up bad. I'm not criticizing the attempt to make a change, but the attempt was a big flop, and now we are back to reality."
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Everything must be back to normal. Check out the photo on the first link in the story above. It shows a city plow clearing an alley after the piddly snow we received last night. Here is a link to see that spot on google maps.
So either they plow only the mains and leave the sides to become a skating rink or plow every alley and rack up millions in additional cost? Both see equally ridiculous to me. Both are indicative of poor management of the plowing operations in Chicago. Or maybe an alderman or S&S boss needs to have his alley cleared.
Exactly.
I wrote an angry email to my village today regarding the plows coming down my street MANY times this morning when there was NO snow left. The streets, by that time looked like it had just rained and this gigantic snow plow is roaring up and down the streets and in my opinion not only wasting my already too high tax dollars, but causing even more damage to the roads which already look like a war zone.
This kind of stuff just infuriates me.
I don't know how these guys get paid, if it's by the hour and they're milking the job or what, but it needs to stop.
When you hear that sound of the metal plow scraping against the bare pavement when the truck is going at a high speed it just adds insult to injury.
Also, how about implementing a second shift of S&S plow drivers for the winter months? One shift from 10pm to 6am and another from 6am to 3pm. That way the city can have employees on strait time clearing streets before anyone wakes up and has to drive to work. Overtime would only be necessary for the times of heavy snow or if a storm hits for the evening rush (most storms build in the evening and overnight).
That would make way too much sense. This expense will no doubt be offset by the Mayor's upcoming year-round street cleaning schedule ... and a $50 tax on Libras.