Author Topic: City Considers Private Waste Contract  (Read 13958 times)

Offline Editor

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Offline ericmartindale

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Re: City Considers Private Waste Contract
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2016, 04:12:53 PM »
Cutting public employee pension costs will save additional millions.

Beware of one thing, the city tried this about 20 years ago under the Zisa regime, and there was a huge uprising against it.  The city then backed off and didn't do it.

A smart move would be to negotiate with the company being hired, and GUARANTEE rock-solid that the employees being cut will secure an offer of employment from the private-sector company.



Offline Whitey

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Re: City Considers Private Waste Contract
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2016, 09:32:48 AM »
It is difficult to understand the priorities of our elected officials.  The City cannot afford the $2 million for new garbage trucks but has authorized funding for a $7 million sports dome which will be used by a very small segment of our population for a few months per year.  It is not even certain that the majority of those using the dome will be Hackensack residents.
 
Our elected officials should rethink their priorities, stop all expenditures on the dome project, and look to funding the necessary garbage trucks.  We might even save money.

Offline Homer Jones

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Re: City Considers Private Waste Contract
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2016, 12:07:01 PM »
What makes Ol' Homer foresee a game of ethnic volleyball on the horizon?

Offline ericmartindale

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Re: City Considers Private Waste Contract
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2016, 10:48:52 PM »
I told you so, this privatization wouldn't be so easy.  In the mid-1990's there were 450 - 500 people attending in protest, which was the largest protest of any kind in the history of Hackensack, so far as I know.  I'm surprised they only massed 250 this time.  20 years ago, it was all about preserving the jobs and especially preserving the pensions.


Offline ericmartindale

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Re: City Considers Private Waste Contract
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2016, 08:37:52 AM »
When the city investigated this same move 20 years ago, they determined that there would be NO UPFRONT SAVING at all.  The contract would cost about the same as paying the employees.  The entire incentive to move forward with the project was (1) to eliminate the pension costs which would save millions, and (2) reduce exposure to insurance liability costs, because the workers kept filing questionable injury claims against the City. There is always the threat that a claim would exceed the city's insurance policy, and the city would have to shell out money.

To be perfectly honest, I think the city is not going far enough. I would privatize almost the entire city government, including the Health Dept and code enforcement. 


Offline Homer Jones

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Re: City Considers Private Waste Contract
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2016, 08:06:47 PM »
A basic tenet of business management is that the decision makers must identify and analyze every option that is available to them no matter how popular the alternatives may be or may not be. Once the options are identified, you put them on a scale, weigh them and make your decision.
Looks like this was the case here.

Offline ericmartindale

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Re: City Considers Private Waste Contract
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2016, 11:17:49 PM »
Same as 20 years ago. The upfront savings is minimal.  20 years ago, it was all about getting away from public employee PENSION COSTS and reducing insurance exposure.  I bet that was the motivation this time as well.

Offline Editor

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