An interesting bit, shows that Rahm’s not just another pretty face:
(1) Establish a “benchmark” price per ton after comparing the cost of collecting Chicago’s 1 million tons of annual garbage to costs in 10 major cities.
(2) Give the city’s 1,142-strong, $173.7 million-a-year refuse-collection army a chance to generate the savings necessary to meet those benchmarks.
(3) Switch from a ward-by-ward to a grid or zone system of collecting garbage if Phase Two doesn’t work.
(4) And, if all else fails, implement a “managed competition” between city employees and private companies to achieve savings.
My complaint? It’s a fine plan, but it’s also politics as usual.
Let’s face the facts, how long does it really take to establish a baseline price? If it’s more than a 20 minute phone call to Waste Management or Onyx then it’s taking too long.
But we all know how this is really going to go. The Union will high-ball the number and preach all kinds of doom-and-gloom about snow plowing. The city will counter, and back-and-forth and round-and-round it will go and then magically, over steaks at Gibson’s a deal will be struck.
I say we accept 1 through 3 and inevitable and get right on to Number 4. Find out what a private contractor will bid for the job and let the union compete. Whole process should take a few weeks and immediately save the taxpayers millions.