Yesterday’s NY Daily News (9/16/2007) editorial bemoaned the fact that the City is now buying $400 trash receptacles which they feel are quite overpriced. The editorial also discusses how local politicians are using them as politically funded campaign announcements.
I am sure Roosevelt Island residents will feel some sympathy as the overpriced argument rings a bell when a prior RIOC administration switched from the old trash receptacles to the new red ones which I recall were at a reported cost of $800 per unit. Perhaps the Daily News should be informed that the City got a bargain. Don’t get me wrong the new red receptacles are attractive as such cans go and we all like the Tram logo but the cost was apparently substantial.
The crazy thing is where our state tax dollars paid for the RIOC Reds now our NYC tax dollars are contributing to these new City trash cans. What a waste…again.
Update 3:00 pm
After an extensive search through old on-line issues of the WIRE, I found a reference, within the RIRA column by then President Steve Marcus, in the January 14, 2006 issue regarding the Red trash receptacles. Guess what they were not purchased at $800 per receptacle but at $2,000 per can. And at 40 cans that added up to over $80,000.00.
[Note: The red can pics were taken from Flickr and I have not properly credited the photogs. I will try to do so later today.]
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These absurdly expensive trash cans were first put on the street during the very same week that RIOC's failure to maintain the tram caused too many people to be stranded for too many hours ....
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see that emblem of the tram near the bottom of these trash cans, I'm reminded that Roosevelt Island's bad management became part of a news story which was broadcast the world over.