NOTES BY NORSE: City Council will be asked to research a non-existent “criminal problem” around recycling based on the fears, fantasies, and political buttons being pushed by right-wing NIMBY’s in our community. The City Attorney and Police Chief (surprisingly) have already pointed out that (a) state law preempts attacks on local recycling centers, and (b) there are zero reports of bikes being stolen to be sold for recycling profits. Still the staff forges ahead. The following was my comment on the Sentinel on-line article at http://www.santacruzsentinel.
Looks like centrist Democrats are now eagerly feeding from the fascist trough, their snouts in the air scenting the foul wind and which way the plague of hate blows as they eagerly troll for votes from the activated Hate Mob.
Expect attacks of food-providers soon–as “criminal enablers”. Oh, wait,, that’s already happened out at the Homeless (Lack of) Services Center turning an already no-shelter-for-most “campus” into a prison annex with a $100,000 “security gate”, ID cards, and other “public safety” measures–as the zombie corpse of Drug War insanity stalks the day.
The results of the City Council’s latest attempt to placate the Take Back Santa Cruz NIMBY’s with their street performer slaughter legislation can be seen downtown: Of the few that remain, almost all are in “illegal” locations. Self-righteous bigots and their SCPD and yellow-jacket
Hostile-apatality allies [“Hosts”] are apparently biding their time. Waiting for legitimate outrage against these laws to cool before moving in to pick off individuals with threats, citations, and arrests.
Is the sight of poverty so unbearable and frightening that otherwise intelligent people can descend to this kind of abuse? Give a politician a constituency, I guess, and they’ll run with it, no matter how deep the slime.
The spurious use of environmental, public safety, and economic concerns is, of course, liberal cover for another attack on the visible poor. So much easier to treat humans as trash, if you cover the roar of the compactor and the cries of pain with reassuring rhetoric, sweet reason, and checkbook ethics.
Santa Cruz council to examine impact of recycling centers
By J.M. Brown Santa Cruz Sentinel Posted: 11/08/2013 05:44:01 PM PST
SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz City Council will consider Tuesday recommendations for the city to more closely monitor the impacts of recycling redemption centers.
Out of mounting concern about the theft of recyclables, bikes and copper, the Transportation and Public Works Commission suggested in September the city scrutinize records of California Redemption Value centers that pay people for turning in cans, bottles and scrap metal. The panel also recommended requesting the state reconsider laws requiring such centers in local communities.
Noting that many people recycle at home now, commission Chair Richelle Noroyan said she doesn’t believe the redemption centers are needed.
“It’s almost encouraging people to break into the recycling containers,” she said.
Noroyan understands there are disadvantaged people who are not committing crimes and are picking up littered recyclable material for income. But she fears the theft of recyclables and scrap metal may partially fuel the local drug trade, and stealing from curbside containers costs the city revenue that funds environmental programs.
Public works staff have suggested the council ask the state for help in address scavenging and change zoning rules to treat redemption recycling centers as a conditional use in all areas where they are allowed. The staff also suggested reviewing for six months reports that Santa Cruz’s two CRV centers are required to file with police to determine what kind of scrap metal is being recycled and by whom.
Councilman Don Lane said stealing should certainly be discouraged, but he said he also feared requesting the removal of recycling centers could eliminate a way for poor people to earn money and increase the amount of recyclable material that ends up in the garbage.
“If you don’t have a recycling center for them to turn it in to, there isn’t much incentive,” Lane said. “It would be important to get a little more analysis of that before we move in that direction.”
Also Tuesday, the council will consider a request from the parking division to halt the 11-year practice of allowing electric vehicles to park for free at downtown meters and in parking garages. Since the incentive program was started in 2002, the city has reported a surge in electric vehicles charging at city stations for free, growing by more than 180 percent since 2010.
The city will continue the free charging because the state only permits electric companies to sell power, but the cost is expected to go up as the popularity and performance of electric vehicles increase. Electric vehicles pay to park near the beach and wharf, but the city has lost nearly $8,000 since 2010 on free parking for nearly 3,500 vehicles at the Soquel/Front garage downtown.
“As the numbers have grown and we’ve been adding more electric charging stations, (the incentive program) has achieved its desired purpose,” City Manager Martín Bernal said.
The council also will vote Tuesday on awarding a $7.1 million contract for the final phase of the Bay Street Reservoir replacement. The costs will be covered through capital improvement funds.
The Public Works Department will request spending $100,000 in capital improvement funds to share in the costs of roadway, bike lane and sidewalk improvements sought by the city on the southwest corner of Ocean and Water streets so a property owner can more easily develop the long-empty site.
Follow Sentinel reporter J.M. Brown at Twitter.com/jmbrownreports
IF YOU GO
SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL
WHEN: 3 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Council Chamber, 809 Center St.
INFORMATION: www.cityofsantacruz.com
SOME COMMENTS:
How about this City Leaders… We’re going to start a movement to pull out all of the CRV from your blue money bins that we put out once a week for you to extract! We pay the CRV, and then basically hand it over to you, and now it sounds like you rely on it as a source of income. If you’re going to try and ram through another poor hating agenda, I think it’s time for a little push back.
The reason I commented to your first comment, and you continue on with the response is about “progressive”. It appears that you support allowing homeless to hangout at street corners, smoke pot, drink, bum for money, collect recycleables and just basically not respect our community or neighbors’ property. If I misunderstood you – sorry.
Collecting recyclables? Go for it. To me that’s actually respecting our community! And who am I to stifle some poor soul from putting food on their table after they work all day collecting a valuable resource that would have otherwise gone to a landfill?
Do I trust any report from these small town crony politicians, and hater community groups who are trying to enact a surveillance state in conjunction with more ridiculous laws? No way!
NORSE NOTE: For more about Ken Collins and his idea of “clean-up’s” see https://www.indybay.org/
So, in a town that encourages reacycling and sustainablity, you suggest to close recycling centers because it might spur drug trade? The we should close the Flea Market, Yard Slaes, Pawn Shops or any other business for that matter as it could also contribute to this problem. Get Real, people need to make a living, including these recycling center owners who are taxpaying busuness owners contributing to Your community.
Please be aware that there are anti racketeering laws put in place just to stop the cornering of markets. That includes the recyclables you speak of as a commodity. You simply cannot control an open and legitimate market, it is against the law and you should know that.
You might be in a postion now where you don’t need the money. That could change, be very thankful you are where you are. Don’t underestimate your fortune and try to show some compassion for your fellow humans. Even the middle class family that uses a recycling center to help pay bills!