Most Basic of All Services? Garbage Pickup

Having dedicated a significant amount of my retirement time to litter-abatement and to the task of cleaning up our neighborhoods, I could have projected the current crisis within the Huntington Sanitation Department. I spend a lot of time in the alley-ways of our city, and I can attest to the fact that the Sanitation Department is practically in-operable due to a lack of personnel and equipment. In addition, the practice of having the sanitation crews work only a half-day, in lieu of past pay raises, is a sure sign of the administration's mismanagement. It is a cliche, but here goes - "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."

The citizens of Huntington are going to have to get over the thinking of "No new taxes; no new fees." If we are going to revitalize our city (from the ground up), we must start with garbage pickup and solid waste disposal. Let's determine the cost of needed equipment and personnel and do what is necessary to fund it! The old excuse that some folks can't afford it is unacceptable. We must all take on the burden of citizen responsibility and fund our city government's services. In turn, the city government must end management by crisis!