Code Enforcement Officer - BFI Waste Management

Posted by Gordon on July 3, 2010 at 4:00pm

Blog Posts On the Saturday program with Mark Carbonaro the Mayor brought up that the city was losing approximately $300,000 from items being taken from trash cans . Those engaged in this terrible theft are predominantly the homeless, the destitute,… people trying to keep body and sole together, people who have pushed aside their pride out of necessity. From what the Mayor said it appears that the city is now determined to bolster it’s momentum by taking food and sustenance from the homeless and destitute among us. I find it very difficult to wrap my mind around the pettiness of some people in our society that they would deny, what they are throwing away, to someone who could benefit from it; how careless, thoughtless and selfish can they be?

Everyone should be aware that, although the Mayor says differently, the hiring of this Code Enforcement Officer is only the beginning. How many have thought about the fact that he/she will be receiving five step raises plus a longevity raise, plus cost of living raises. This person will require a vehicle which will require fuel and regular maintenance at least every six thousand miles. This person will require an office, fully equipped and undoubtedly a “Typist Clerk 2” to run the office, equaling further step increases, longevity pay and cost of living raises. Every year this will mean mandatory monthly increases to the taxpayers.

Now allow yourself to think like a politician. This Code Enforcement officer will report to a supervisor, this creates added responsibility for that supervisor, he/she will petition the union, that do to added responsibility they are deserving of a raise and they will receive it…more tax dollars out the window. Follow this a little further. With this added responsibility and pay increase this supervisor will begin talking behind closed doors that what the city really requires is a Code Enforcement Officer for each district, or at least to brake the city into quarters and hire three more Code Enforcement Officers, with all the goodies that the first one has… More dollars taken from our pockets. Now this supervisor, with the responsibility of overseeing four Code Enforcement officers and their Clerk Typist 2’s will again approach the Union for an additional increase in pay, which also bolsters his retirement. Now the picture is complete, what began as one has blossomed into four plus up to four Clerk Typist 2’s, added office space and materials plus vehicles and maintenance expense and all the raises that go with it. Is your wallet feeling lighter yet?

Some will say this is just satire. Is it? Have I not stated correctly how government works? The Mayor stated that they aren’t “empire building,” but the truth in the matter is that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Enforcement requires the gathering of information from these terribly hardened criminals taking from the sustenance of the city coffers to keep body and sole together.
Most will have no address, many will be homeless. To be cited an individual must receive a certified letter of intent. Following this they must be allowed the rite of a public hearing. How will this be possible in most of the cases cited? How are fines to be paid, these people have no money; will the city lock them up?

BFI said part of the Officer’s responsibility will be to target graffiti. You mean to tell me that those city employees who mow the parks, who empty the cans etc. are not able to write a note when they observe graffiti and hand it in to their supervisor at the end of their shift? A Code Enforcement Officer is required for this?

We are all going to have to foot added tax dollars for someone to do a job where, in most cases, citations can not even be enforced. An Ordinance is only as good as there is ability to enforce it. The hiring of this person for the reasons discussed is obscene and immoral. The city, the Mayor, the council members, all who gave their blessing to this and BFI should all be ashamed.

Gordon Avery




Comment by Donny Buckman on July 4, 2010 at 8:26am
I agree. We have a term for materials placed outside of a person's property when they are no longer willing to hold onto it: public domain. Again, the twisting, bending, manipulation of sovereignty of both mind and body is shown at work in the public sector. We have gotten to the point now where government shows that they do not understand charity at all.In the King James version of the Bible is a passage that I find especially pertinent here. Interestingly, in the New International Version one of the words was changed, so I'll point out the one that applies more closely. In 1 Corinthians 13:13 the apostle Paul writes "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity." In the NIV the word "charity" is changed to "love", which I would never accuse government of possessing, but for a number of years now they have been professing charitable activity using our tax dollars. The point is that obviously government charity is not the charity of the bible as it needs to be, but charity for political gain. This is beyond sin, it is practically demonic; it is modern 21st century American government at work.