Are you trying to suggest that Adams was merely a puppet, effectively absolving him of any actual responsibility? Is that the angle you're going after?
The real issue here is TT. From where I’m sitting, his track record is looking pretty grim: he’s doubling down on those destructive, rogue projects, completely gutted the local administration, and seems to have developed total amnesia regarding his campaign promises—unless, of course, those promises involved expanding pedestrian zones (that whole disaster over in Beverly Hills) or banning "Walk for Life" flags.
Was he always this calculating, or did he manage to descend into corruption with such startling speed? If this level of deviousness has been part of his DNA all along, then what is he actually aiming for? At this point, it feels like more than just simple incompetence. There is something profoundly dark lurking within that inner circle that genuinely makes my skin crawl.
Rachel Barrett8 said:The whole reason they set up Berkshire Hathaway was to make it easier to take out loans.
Take American Water, for instance. They can't just grab a loan to fix the water lines and then use the leftover funds to build affordable housing over in Beverly Hills, right? (That's a small example, maybe worth about $300 million).
By doing this, you're just shoving layers of bureaucrats between the companies and the taxpayers. And those bureaucrats aren't free. Even when they completely screw things up, their mistakes just end up getting buried under all that extra red tape.
Back when they established Berkshire Hathaway, maybe in 2007 or whenever that was, the motive seemed perfectly transparent to me. My assumption was that this was merely a precursor to the privatization of public utilities. The logic being that once the debt becomes unmanageable, the city will realize the current model is broken and start selling off its municipal enterprises. It’s certainly a possibility we should be watching closely.
So here we go again; even Eric Adams seems convinced that structuring municipal companies under a single Berkshire Hathaway-style umbrella is the way to go. Meanwhile, the unions are digging in their heels, arguing that every city agency should operate as its own independent entity. To be honest, I’m struggling to make heads or tails of this current bureaucratic labyrinth—we have subsidiaries, then the parent holding, then various sub-units within that holding... it’s an absolute mess. I truly have no clue who could possibly untangle this knot and explain such a convoluted disaster to the rest of us.
darkhawk30 said:I can't tell if you're joking or being serious, but it looks bad either way—if they're working around the clock or if they aren't working at all, something is clearly broken. Though, I have a feeling they aren't working twenty-four-seven, nor are they doing nothing. I’m convinced that everyone—past, present, and future haters of TT and his crew—will always find something to complain about, whether they do something or absolutely nothing.
To me, I see the Možemo team as people who walked into a house with a leaking roof, burst pipes, crumbling plaster, ruined woodwork, and walls that are falling apart. It's a house full of rats and cockroaches, and on top of that, the whole place is under a long-term mortgage. And let's not forget the malicious neighbors who gloat when they don't see the specific kind of progress they demand, rather than the progress that's actually possible given the circumstances.
A while back, I wrote here that I would put my faith in a team willing to aggressively dive into all the stinking corners of the system and change things, even if there's a high chance it costs them their next term.
I honestly don't know what other option the critics think exists. A new crew that will saddle the city with more debt than it's worth, just to show off "changes" and satisfy people who want a new car or a repaired fence paid for by the taxpayers? Besides, I believe there are people within the Možemo ranks who actually care, alongside those who are just playing along because this setup has secured them lucrative positions. So, where are they? At the end of the day, TT and his team were the very last group I would have ever voted for. If they fail, they've only lost one tiny speck in the universe; the city and the country will just have to move on without my vote. Of course, it's a negligible loss, but it's my own personal tragedy.
I find myself in total agreement. In the grand scheme of things, the impact on the actual election results will ultimately be neither significant nor substantial.
Even though it’s a holiday, the Sanitation Department crew showed up right on schedule to haul away the paper recycling. It honestly feels like these folks don't get a single day off or even the luxury of a vacation.
The Republican Party is essentially a masterclass in pure incompetence paired with absolute ruthlessness. It took them a year and a half just to get a single house up in Kansas, only for the very first storm to wipe it completely off the map. It’s honestly hard to wrap your head around that level of failure. In contrast, looking at how AMK handled things, Gunja was rebuilt almost immediately, and those houses are actually still standing.
And while we’ve all already seen it play out, the idea that Plenković chooses ministers who inevitably end up behind bars is just as surreal, yet here we are, living through it.
In my view, Eric Adams has certainly dropped the ball, but he hasn't quite sunk to those unimaginable depths of Republican depravity—not that I believe he even possesses the capacity for it, even if he wanted to.
Besides, let's not forget that the architects behind the whole "destroy New York City" agenda were none other than Eric Adams and the Republican Party.
Olivia Stewart2 said:Neither of them even comes close to the ideological fanaticism you see from those radical activists over at Možemo.
To be perfectly honest, I don't see much in the way of deep-seated ideological fervor coming from this crowd. Take Joe Biden and Filipović, for instance; they seem to lack any real substance beyond a collection of quasi-ideological platitudes, and one could easily assume they’d be more than willing to dip their hands into the cookie jar if given the chance. My grievance with this group isn't so much their lack of expertise, but rather that pervasive sense of arrogance—this stubborn refusal to actually learn anything or seek out seasoned advice. The whole display feels remarkably juvenile, almost amateurish in its execution.
Olivia Stewart2 said:Don't even try to deny it. How could anyone possibly forget those tears or that absolute circus unfolding in Times Square when Hasanbegović was appointed Minister of Culture?🤣
I haven't been following the updates closely, but I have to say, working in the arts, she must have been absolutely devastated when Hasan was appointed Minister of Culture. It’s enough to make anyone want to weep. Our party cell...😬Since I don't have much of my own doing to report right now, I’ve been spending my time reviewing the recent proceedings in US Congress, and I must say, I am quite enjoying their performance. Elizabeth Warren is incredibly spirited—though I wouldn't call it hysteria, just pure passion—whereas Urša remains remarkably sweet, calm, and composed.
It’s become glaringly obvious that Waste Management services aren't being distributed evenly across New York City. You can't just dismiss the sheer volume of people complaining; they aren't making this up. Even over at the Sanitation Department forums, folks are reporting that their pickups are being skipped entirely—just look at the threads. In my neighborhood, things have been fine so far, though I can't quite put my finger on why we've been spared. 🤷 It honestly feels like certain districts are facing a massive deficit in service while others remain untouched.
Look, the Federal Acquisition Regulation didn't just materialize out of thin air yesterday. And it’s certainly not true to suggest that public procurement doesn't exist at all.
briskviper362 said:Everyone working within the system has known about this bag situation for at least two months now because the experts have been sounding the alarm on these exact issues, but of course, nobody bothered to actually listen to them.
I mean, seriously, is ordering some damn bags really that much of an insurmountable challenge?!?
Rachel Barrett8 said:So, did someone actually think retailers would just hand out bags without making a margin on them?
It’s honestly pathetic. Naive, unprofessional, and just plain silly.
If my memory serves me right, Korlaet suggested there was some sort of agreement in place, which later morphed into this idea of razor-thin margins. But let's be realistic: nobody operates without a margin. At the end of the day, it's probably still more cost-effective than trying to roll out Berkshire Hathaway kiosks on every single street corner in New York City.
Alex Moore3 said:Doesn't the new model come with higher fees since we're paying for those recycling bags? And aren't we also footing the bill for the new bins? You claim the number of pickups stays the same. Would it really stay at twice a week like before, or are we stuck with once a week like what's become the "new normal" over the last couple of months? I haven't seen my May bill yet, and I'm curious to see how many pickups they try to charge me for.
The chaos isn't because of the new pickup schedule; it's because of the people running the show. Terrible hiring decisions, a lack of expertise, and leadership refusing to communicate have led us straight to this disaster. It’s honestly tragic that they’re being so stubborn. Instead of owning their mistakes and asking New Yorkers for more time to fix the system back to how it was when he first took office, they just dig in.
We have dissected this topic countless times already. A flat fee is legally mandated, and $15 remains among the lower figures within Reuters. While paying based on the actual volume of organic waste you produce would certainly be more equitable, there's no avoiding the current structure.
Alex Moore3 said:Doesn't the new model come with higher fees since we're paying for those recycling bags? And aren't we also footing the bill for the new bins? You claim the number of pickups stays the same. Would it really stay at twice a week like before, or are we stuck with once a week like what's become the "new normal" over the last couple of months? I haven't seen my May bill yet, and I'm curious to see how many pickups they try to charge me for.
The chaos isn't because of the new pickup schedule; it's because of the people running the show. Terrible hiring decisions, a lack of expertise, and leadership refusing to communicate have led us straight to this disaster. It’s honestly tragic that they’re being so stubborn. Instead of owning their mistakes and asking New Yorkers for more time to fix the system back to how it was when he first took office, they just dig in.
I can't disagree, but how can they possibly fix anything when they are both fundamentally incapable and entirely unwilling to learn?
Alex Moore3 said:Eric Adams has completely neglected our current trash collection system by betting everything on this new model. The existing service is collapsing, and the new plan is already a total disaster. Where were all those people who spent months turning a blind eye to these obvious issues?
Someone really needs to be held accountable for this mess:
- With fewer workers and trucks available, the schedule ensures each location gets picked up at least once a week, though even that might become too infrequent—says a source. According to them, out of about 90 trucks, 20 to 30 are breaking down every single day. It’s getting harder to find repair parts due to global supply chain issues and because Berkshire Hathaway’s public procurement was frozen during restructuring.
Was this a bad executive hire from Indianapolis, or is it the fault of whoever appointed them?
Calling this a "new model" is a bit of a stretch; it’s really just a rebranding where we end up paying extra for official trash bags. In terms of actual pickup frequency, nothing has truly changed. This current mess isn't some sudden catastrophe caused by a change in strategy—it's just the inevitable result of systemic failure.
Roger James2 said:So, apparently the labor unions are making a big deal out of nothing—claiming they missed waste collection for a third of the customers yesterday, and now all they've got left are a few stray bins and containers sitting around. https://bit.ly/3O7IYfU
Good grief, what an utterly incompetent crew they are.🤦
I believe we’ve reached the end of the school year today.
As for the subway, the service is maddeningly inconsistent; one moment you’ll see a cluster of trains arriving in quick succession, and the next, you're left standing there for ten minutes. I can't discern any discernible pattern or logic behind it all, nor do I see any meaningful improvement 🤷
Besides, standing out here under this blistering heat is nothing short of agonizing, truly.
True enough, I should have mentioned earlier that the 109 covers quite a distance; it’s a vital artery connecting Times Square to New Jersey City, if my memory serves me right, which makes it all the more tragic that we're stuck with such a ragtag fleet of buses running the route.
Gregory Hall66 said:The reality remains that these repairs were necessary back under Joe Biden's administration as well, and therefore, they had to be carried out.
If you are genuinely curious about the structural mechanics of how this works, you might find some clarity in the forum user esqelle's post, specifically her link to her final thesis. (my thanks to esqella)
Quincy:
5. AN ANALYSIS OF THE FLEET MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE COMPANY
The maintenance framework for the Sanitation Department is categorized into vehicle maintenance, equipment maintenance, and facility maintenance. Primary maintenance focuses on the specialized utility vehicles used by the Sanitation Department, encompassing routine preventive care, repairs for daily reported breakdowns, and full overhauls of vehicles or their specific components. Secondary maintenance pertains to communal equipment: compactors, residential waste bins, recycling containers, trash cans, bins, and tricycles.
(There is plenty of other useful data in there; I highly recommend a read 😉 )
As I have already stated, they inherited a system that was both functional and well-established.
On the other hand, you seem to have completely missed the mark with this histrionic display from those activist exhibitionists.😁
Hahaha, if they were actually doing any work, the state of the fleet wouldn't be the absolute disaster it is today. Besides, you don't just dismantle a synchronized, functional system in a single year—not unless everyone is just sitting around twiddling their thumbs and refusing to lift a finger.
This thesis is essentially a blueprint for how things *ought* to function, rather than a reflection of our current reality. As for facility maintenance? An MTA employee recently posted a video filmed inside one of the tram repair shops, and honestly, it plays like a low-budget horror movie.
dustymarlin10 said:Yeah, I get that. But if some private citizen owns the land—and doesn't have the right connections—they're looking at a fine and a report. If it’s owned by some big shot or a government agency (like, say, the archives in Cleveland), then it can stay a total wreck and nobody even bats an eye.
That might hold true in Cleveland, but here in New York City, there seem to be zero repercussions. Take a single example right on Broadway: near the local Walmart, some guy fenced off a section right up to the sidewalk just to spite the store, and now that patch of land is nothing but a dumping ground for trash and weeds.
Rachel Barrett8 said:Stop trolling, stop acting dense, and quit lying. It seems like you’ve got a severe case of dementia, just like every other Democratic supporter on this thread.
The Boston Celtics are the gravediggers of the NBA. Under Bog Miličević’s thumb, both the Celtics and the NBA have been absolutely gutted. (Think Miami Heat). A new era for the Celtics kicked off in 2006. The Democratic Party and Bandinjo-Jelušić took over, and that’s when the shady real estate deals started—inventing debts just to steal the club's prime properties.
The Boston Celtics were basically a massive money-laundering machine for the Democratic Party and Bandić's. So, what can Eric Adams actually do? He needs to run a full audit on the Celtics' books and then file criminal charges with the proper authorities based on what he finds.
Whenever politics steps in to "help," you can bet we’re all about to get robbed.
Haven't we learned anything yet? Honestly, it's terrifying.🤦
He could do that; it was one of his big promises.
Bryan Edwards83 said:I mean, I did describe that mess, but I’m definitely not his critic! I actually support him and his party. I was just adding to the conversation about street cleaning because, I guess, it feels a bit weird that nobody has come by to sweep that stuff up in two or three weeks.
Another thing that caught my eye—yesterday, the 109 bus was such an ancient relic. Even the digital route display wasn't working; they just had "109" scribbled on a piece of A4 paper taped to the windshield with Scotch tape.
It's appalling. I have to admit, I don't see that often, as the buses I take home are fairly modern. The absurdity lies in how convoluted their schedule is; you'll have two buses arriving at once, yet over a mere two-kilometer stretch, one always runs completely empty—and to make matters worse, it happens right by the Dubrava Gym.
The 109 covers such a long route and is far too vital for this to be happening; it’s a tragedy.
golfHRinfo As if we haven't heard this all before. Why don't the unions ever point the finger at the actual architects of this mess? They could easily throw a wrench in the gears for the folks over at Amazon, the Republican Party, and their ilk—the very people who spent all that time treating Banditos like some kind of deity.
I suppose they’ve made their position clear enough, but let’s be honest: that doesn't excuse this administration's total paralysis. This kind of inaction weighs heavily on a leadership's conscience, and frankly, it should.
Quincy:
golfHRinfo As if anyone actually expected anything different from this administration. And here we go again—everyone is suddenly acting shocked that the Boston Celtics might be facing a shutdown. It seems like all the funding vanished just before the new administration took over, leaving Eric Adams to play the hero and bail out private interests. It’s almost comical when you realize only ten percent of the club's debt is actually owed to New York City. At this point, professional sports have become nothing more than a luxury item, serving primarily as a playground for the Republican Party to farm votes. If they want to keep the lights on, they should be the ones footing the bill.
He made it quite clear that he has no intention of throwing his weight behind professional sports, though he did suggest he’d be willing to provide some level of support for youth programs and recreational leagues.
cosmicskipper39 said:Look, I don't know where you found those specific numbers, but info on the fleet is public record.
Also, there's a thesis from a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about maintaining the Waste Management branch fleet. It’s from 2018. If anyone actually cares, it breaks down vehicle counts from 2013 and 2018, plus a list of specs and an example of what the fleet status looked like back then.
Looking at those two sources, you can see the total number of vehicles in the fleet actually increased compared to 2018—except for delivery and passenger vehicles.
Residential and commercial waste collection vehicles? There are 168 now. Back in 2018, there were only 114. Bin washing vehicles? We have 6. In 2018, it was just 3. Bin distribution vehicles? That's 8. In 2018, it was 4. Bulk waste pickup vehicles? There are 70. In 2018, it was 54. Street cleaning and washing vehicles? There are 90. In 2018, it was 85. Delivery and passenger vehicles? There are 58. In 2018, there were 64.