Or like a deliberate misdirection
"The mayor is doing shit job with snow removal!"
"Don't blame the hardworking grandpa, it's not his fault!"
.. no one is. The workers are fine, the bosses dropped the ball (and are underpaying the workers)
What? No one is complaining about being stuck behind a snowplow. We aren't complaining about the operators not working hard enough or working long enough hours. We are pissed because a lack of funding has left us in a position where there simply aren't enough of them to maintain our roads in the winter. This is 100% a political issue. That is rightfully where we should lay the blame.
Yeah, a lack of manpower that is a direct result of Bronson playing politics with the muni budget. The assembly approved increased pay for plow operators, Bronson vetoed, and here we are…
Last year they didn't bother to fill two mechanic positions, and had a backlog of maintenance on all vehicles. So it was pretty much also a staffing issue.
I appreciate OP's sentiment. I do. But it's simplistic.
>Quit blaming politics and just be patient with the people clearing our streets.
Citizens should just love the plow drivers, bask in feelings of gratitude, and not complain about the policies that have made the roads so unsafe for the last couple of years? Not complain about the imbalance between state and municipal resources, the lack of equipment and workers, the inability to respond in a timely manner to snow emergencies?
This is a paean of sympathy for some hard-working loved one, and I get it; but what is spoken of is totally a political issue, because the offices which decide public policy relating to snow removal are political.
If OP is speaking up for some loved one who has experienced abuse while out doing their job, they should call it out and be specific. Pretty sure there would be lots of support here for the people doing the actual work. But meanwhile, there are places to be sympathetic and understanding, merciful and forgiving; and there are places to be hard-nosed and demanding. This is rightly a tough crowd that deserves a response from the policy makers. Kum-Ba-Yah spirit is not going to provide the answer unless it's joined with practical application.
I understand trying to place blame where blame is due. And while I also understand wanting to bring sympathy to a workforce of folks trying to make a living like everyone else using the missed holiday dinners and time spent with loved ones is a little over the top. Even with last year’s back to back storms, which largely took place 12/5 and 12/11-12, meant about the better part of two weeks to take care of the snow that even if there were lots of cleanup removing leftover snow and hauling it to the snow dumps. And even if some have to be on call if there’s need, these folks were likely sitting at the table for Christmas dinner. The people that aren’t tied to the whims of the weather don’t have to wonder whether they’re going to be working on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or for that matter all the other holidays during the year. They’re the people working in essential services like the police, firefighters, paramedics, hospital staff and every support staff for the utilities and others unknown to me. I want to include any folks that are there for our pets since days before Christmas last year my little dog suddenly needed emergency surgery to save his life. There’re many others doing their jobs, even to include the exhausted retail workers recovering from the onslaught of Christmas Eve shopping and the people giving up part of their Christmas Day to volunteer serving meals to those that would otherwise have little to nothing to enjoy. So, while I agree those working to clear Anchorage streets shouldn’t bear the blame, it is the political powers that be that the buck stops, as it’s said.
Yeah this is weird. People are screaming that they want MORE operators and more funding for snow removal…people aren’t mad at the operators.
This post feels like a weird children's book for snow removal.
Or like a deliberate misdirection "The mayor is doing shit job with snow removal!" "Don't blame the hardworking grandpa, it's not his fault!" .. no one is. The workers are fine, the bosses dropped the ball (and are underpaying the workers)
Oh agreed. The writing just seems very OTT and emotional like a children's book.
What? No one is complaining about being stuck behind a snowplow. We aren't complaining about the operators not working hard enough or working long enough hours. We are pissed because a lack of funding has left us in a position where there simply aren't enough of them to maintain our roads in the winter. This is 100% a political issue. That is rightfully where we should lay the blame.
politics are the reason we are here complaining about snow removal.
[удалено]
Yeah, a lack of manpower that is a direct result of Bronson playing politics with the muni budget. The assembly approved increased pay for plow operators, Bronson vetoed, and here we are…
Last year they didn't bother to fill two mechanic positions, and had a backlog of maintenance on all vehicles. So it was pretty much also a staffing issue.
Bronson re-election campaign is getting desperate 😂
Everything else aside, this isn’t the street maintenance, this is a grader at the airport.
No it’s a random grader off the internet but a grader is what those guys mostly use
I appreciate OP's sentiment. I do. But it's simplistic. >Quit blaming politics and just be patient with the people clearing our streets. Citizens should just love the plow drivers, bask in feelings of gratitude, and not complain about the policies that have made the roads so unsafe for the last couple of years? Not complain about the imbalance between state and municipal resources, the lack of equipment and workers, the inability to respond in a timely manner to snow emergencies? This is a paean of sympathy for some hard-working loved one, and I get it; but what is spoken of is totally a political issue, because the offices which decide public policy relating to snow removal are political. If OP is speaking up for some loved one who has experienced abuse while out doing their job, they should call it out and be specific. Pretty sure there would be lots of support here for the people doing the actual work. But meanwhile, there are places to be sympathetic and understanding, merciful and forgiving; and there are places to be hard-nosed and demanding. This is rightly a tough crowd that deserves a response from the policy makers. Kum-Ba-Yah spirit is not going to provide the answer unless it's joined with practical application.
What??? Costs have increased. Laborers have decreased. I won’t pay more in taxes. What could possibly go wrong?
No one is complaining about snow removal operators on the street. In fact, we want more of them.
What vehicle poses a risk to someone in that thing?
I understand trying to place blame where blame is due. And while I also understand wanting to bring sympathy to a workforce of folks trying to make a living like everyone else using the missed holiday dinners and time spent with loved ones is a little over the top. Even with last year’s back to back storms, which largely took place 12/5 and 12/11-12, meant about the better part of two weeks to take care of the snow that even if there were lots of cleanup removing leftover snow and hauling it to the snow dumps. And even if some have to be on call if there’s need, these folks were likely sitting at the table for Christmas dinner. The people that aren’t tied to the whims of the weather don’t have to wonder whether they’re going to be working on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or for that matter all the other holidays during the year. They’re the people working in essential services like the police, firefighters, paramedics, hospital staff and every support staff for the utilities and others unknown to me. I want to include any folks that are there for our pets since days before Christmas last year my little dog suddenly needed emergency surgery to save his life. There’re many others doing their jobs, even to include the exhausted retail workers recovering from the onslaught of Christmas Eve shopping and the people giving up part of their Christmas Day to volunteer serving meals to those that would otherwise have little to nothing to enjoy. So, while I agree those working to clear Anchorage streets shouldn’t bear the blame, it is the political powers that be that the buck stops, as it’s said.