Current Events > Denver: Profit is more important than your safety

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https://www.denver7.com/news/360/why-your-street-sometimes-doesnt-get-plowed-after-a-snowstorm

The reluctance to plow these streets comes from a financial and practical position, city leaders say.
On a weekday, deploying the neighborhood plows costs $20,000 to $25,000 for a 12-hour shift, including four hours of overtime for the crews, according to Denver Public Works. If the plow drivers are assigned to an 8-hour shift, there is no overtime and no extra cost.

This is pretty much every city here and the citizens are furious. We constantly have an inch of hard-packed ice on the neighborhood streets and there are cars parked on the street across from each other, so its already narrow and tight. Who would have guessed that the reason is that the snow plow drivers dared to ask for a living wage and apparently we dont do that anymore.

Governments aren't supposed to be run for-profit. Yikes

The main streets being cleared is almost useless if all the side streets are fucking blocked.

Thank God the highway and a few major roads are clear. All I need to do now is shovel my entire fucking street to get there.

Either fucking plow everything or provide full employment protection and wage compensation for missed work.

lilORANG posted...

Governments aren't supposed to be run for-profit. Yikes

Governments are supposed to be fiscally responsible. If they dont have the money to pay people to plow snow, they cant pay people to plow snow.

Welcome to America

Thks is specifically one of the things government is supposed to handle. Get fucked, Denver politicians

IdiotMachine posted...

Governments are supposed to be fiscally responsible. If they dont have the money to pay people to plow snow, they cant pay people to plow snow.

lol they have the money

IdiotMachine posted...

Governments are supposed to be fiscally responsible. If they dont have the money to pay people to plow snow, they cant pay people to plow snow.

They are also supposed to provide services like plowing roads. If they can't then they need to raise the revenue to do so.

They could consider raising taxs perhaps during the winter months to help if money is the issue.

Prismsblade posted...

They could consider raising taxs perhaps during the winter months to help if money is the issue.

They certainly have the funding, but theyre misusing it. They will have a work crew of ten people to fix one pothole or put in a new speed bump. They could divert funding from something to work on this. I think that safety should be our top priority and the money generated from marijuana dispensaries alone could fund a crew of snow plows and salt trucks down the neighborhood streets. I have all wheel drive and Ive come inches from hitting parked cars.

They will come by and fine you if you dont shovel the sidewalk, but the money that our city generates isnt enough to keep us safe. Never mind the fact that the police get a new fleet of muscle cars every few years.

Edit- I dont live in Denver, but my city is WAY smaller and wouldnt be nearly as much work. This seems to be most cities here.

I have a feeling the rich neighborhoods get their streets plowed no problem.

Eat the rich

Southernfatman posted...

I have a feeling the rich neighborhoods get their streets plowed no problem.

This. Its always that way because the rich make them money via taxes.

IdiotMachine posted...

Governments are supposed to be fiscally responsible. If they dont have the money to pay people to plow snow, they cant pay people to plow snow.

Id say paying people to plow snow is literally one of the most important services the government provides

they need to find the money for it somewhere

https://youtu.be/N8b3963VRW4

uh so where does the "profit" come into play here again

Yeah I'm not really seeing how profit or living wage come into play here, this just sounds like they're trying to avoid paying overtime

DipDipDiver posted...

Yeah I'm not really seeing how profit or living wage come into play here, this just sounds like they're trying to avoid paying overtime

No, they literally hire three people to plow the entire city. The workers and their families are very vocal about it and how they are overworked. They dont want to pay people to do the job because those workers, shockingly enough, want a living wage.

Topic title space is limited. The message is that theyre withholding city funding and not using it on something that should be a top priority.

Having three inches of packed ice and snow on neighborhood streets is normal in Minnesota.
I've never seen a plow on my street.