The Garbage Strike Conspiracy - Cleanin' It Up Here Boss

'What we have here is a failure to communicate.'

CommunityCentersCostMoney,Damnit!
Sammy'sUnCivilSocietyVille

So, one of the local media mavens of a so-called progressive bent who supported Smilin' Sammy Sullivan over Jim-Not-James Green in the last Vancouver mayoral election has finally come to his senses.

We're talking about Charlie Smith, who last week skewed the Smiley One over the interminable civic workers strike in a piece titled "A Strike About Nothing".

It's good.

And if you live in Lotusland-Central and if you can't take your kids swimming, or take a Tai-Chi class, or go for a Sunday afternoon skate, or get that blockbuster out of the Library you've been waiting to read on the beach since before the summer started, it will get your blood boiling.

Why?

Because of the last bit, which goes like this.

But let's not kid ourselves about what is really extending this ugly strike. It's money. By its own very conservative estimate, the City saved over $1.3 million during the seven-week dispute in 2000. Gross savings were close to $11 million, but city staff claimed a whopping $9.6 million in lost revenues and strike costs.

Is it any wonder that city managers are placing such emphasis on parking enforcement this time around, rather than keeping community centres open for the kids? Is it any wonder that senior brass don't seem too concerned about needles in parks and no talking books for the blind? If you're confused about why this strike about nothing is taking so long to settle, just follow the money, and you'll have your answer.

Heckfire.

Kinda makes one wonder why no one has pulled a Cool Hand Luke on a few meters of the parking variety late on some Sammy-Free Saturday night.

Not that we would ever endorse or even condone such scandalous behavior.

No sireeee.

After all, we wouldn't want anyone to end up on one of Sammy's chain gangs cleaning up the mountains of garbage around town.

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Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head out to the garage to deal with a mountain of garbage all my own.

Sheesh.

.