Public Works is a net-generator of revenue for a municipality. They allow businesses to operate, which increases tax revenue.
The alternative to hiring people to shovel the snow is having business halt and the city taking a massive loss in tax revenue, to say nothing of the social, economic, and public safety benefits.
How much public works? It’s predictable that there’s snow, so you have equipment. Sometimes there’s more do you prepare for more. But it’s expensive equipment that needs to be purchased, maintained, stored and operated. Most of that expense is year round but you see benefits only a few times per year. Do you invest enough money year round to cover a once a year storm? A once every ten years storm? What about a 100 year storm? We have had those recently but that’s a lot of equipment
Meanwhile these shovelers aren’t on payroll most of the year, have no special equipment, don’t need maintenance, etc. I d expect they’d quickly become cheaper
I’m saying the public benefit of hiring a bunch of temp snow-shovelers is a cash-flow positive for the city because it allows business (and related tax revenue) to continue.
That’s not the only alternative. In other countries the building owner is required to clear the snow in front of their building, and it generally works quite well. The American version would be to allow people to sue building owners for damages if they don’t clear the snow.
I’m sure there are other alternatives. Not saying they are automatically better, but asking to compare them is not a crazy demand.
If the only people clearing the streets are doing it in front of buildings they control - how do the people who need tondo the cleaning get to the building to clean it?
This was an exceptional storm, not a weekly occurrence, and proving damages for a single day will be difficult. And a fine won’t mean much 4 months from now when they pay up.
What NYC needed was an immediate fix during a crisis.
If every tenant can sue their landlord for lost wages for the day, the landlords themselves will shell out the 30, or even 50 bucks to clear the snow, on short notice. Again, asking for a serious study (not a lemmy what-if) is not a crazy request, maybe they can be even better prepared next time.
Public Works is a net-generator of revenue for a municipality. They allow businesses to operate, which increases tax revenue.
The alternative to hiring people to shovel the snow is having business halt and the city taking a massive loss in tax revenue, to say nothing of the social, economic, and public safety benefits.
How much public works? It’s predictable that there’s snow, so you have equipment. Sometimes there’s more do you prepare for more. But it’s expensive equipment that needs to be purchased, maintained, stored and operated. Most of that expense is year round but you see benefits only a few times per year. Do you invest enough money year round to cover a once a year storm? A once every ten years storm? What about a 100 year storm? We have had those recently but that’s a lot of equipment
Meanwhile these shovelers aren’t on payroll most of the year, have no special equipment, don’t need maintenance, etc. I d expect they’d quickly become cheaper
I think you’re agreeing with me.
I’m saying the public benefit of hiring a bunch of temp snow-shovelers is a cash-flow positive for the city because it allows business (and related tax revenue) to continue.
That’s not the only alternative. In other countries the building owner is required to clear the snow in front of their building, and it generally works quite well. The American version would be to allow people to sue building owners for damages if they don’t clear the snow.
I’m sure there are other alternatives. Not saying they are automatically better, but asking to compare them is not a crazy demand.
A few problems with that solution:
If the only people clearing the streets are doing it in front of buildings they control - how do the people who need tondo the cleaning get to the building to clean it?
This was an exceptional storm, not a weekly occurrence, and proving damages for a single day will be difficult. And a fine won’t mean much 4 months from now when they pay up.
What NYC needed was an immediate fix during a crisis.
If every tenant can sue their landlord for lost wages for the day, the landlords themselves will shell out the 30, or even 50 bucks to clear the snow, on short notice. Again, asking for a serious study (not a lemmy what-if) is not a crazy request, maybe they can be even better prepared next time.