27 Feb 12 Franchise trash-haul system proposal advances with Public Works approval
By Christina Salvo and Rudabeh Shahbazi
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — More than a hundred people came to Los Angeles City Hall Monday to “talk trash,” specifically about a new proposal that could change who collects it, and what the cost might be.
currently private waste-haulers collect all waste and some recyclables from businesses and large multifamily residences like apartment buildings.
at issue is whether the city should move to an exclusive franchise system in which a single waste-hauler is allowed to operate under a contract in a given area. Family businesses say if that happens, they won’t survive.
“It’s devastating to us because we will not be able to compete with the larger companies,” said Matthew Kotanjian, general manager of AAA Rubbish inc.
“Every business is going to either have to pass that on to consumers, or they’re going to have to cut costs, and the way they cut costs is by jobs,” said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association.
Angelenos for a Clean Environment say hauler rates would increase by 33 percent. but city officials say it’s impossible to tell how much money the city would generate from this new program, or how much would be passed on to the customer.
“There’s a lot being suggested in terms of rates, that they’re going to go up astronomically, that residents are going to be disproportionately impacted, and I don’t necessarily know that that’s true,” said Andrea Alarcon, president of the L.a. Board of Public Works. “Rates in the current system right now vary drastically.”
but there were pleas from residential property owners Monday, who said they will be impacted if they lose their right to choose their haulers, and they’ll have to pass some of that onto their tenants.
“When I have an option to buy new linoleum, new carpet, new window trim, possibly new appliances, I’m going to opt out of that, not to do it, because I can’t afford it,” said Michael Millman, an apartment building owner.
Supporters of a franchise system say the city would actually ensure flat rates for everybody.
“You can’t raise rates in an exclusive franchise system without the approval of the city,” said Greg Good, director of the Don’t Waste L.a. project. “It’s that simple.”
The L.a. Board of Public Works approved the proposal Monday afternoon. The proposal now goes to the Los Angeles City Council with some amendments.
(Copyright ©2012 KABC-TV/DT. all Rights Reserved.)
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21 Feb 12 PRESS DIGEST-Australian General News – Feb 9
Wed Feb 8, 2012 3:25pm EST
Compiled for Reuters by Media Monitors. Reuters has not verifiedthese stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW (afr.com)
Marius Kloppers, chief executive of global miner BHPBilliton, yesterday said the company was wary about theshort-term outlook following a reduction in global demand and adrop in commodity prices borne out of the volatility caused bythe European debt crisis.
BHP announced a 5.5 percent drop in half-year profit toA$9.1 billion, with mr Kloppers adding that the company would”continue to invest through the cycle”. Page 1.
–John Morschel, chairman of Australia and new Zealand BankingGroup, yesterday urged policymakers to stop spreadingfalse information about the banking industry ahead of thelender’s decision on whether to raise interest rates out of stepof the Reserve Bank of Australia.
“I wish the politicians would get their facts straightbefore they start making public statements,” mr Morschel said. Page 1.
The Federal Opposition came under fire in Parliamentyesterday from the Federal Government over its conflictingstatements on whether the Coalition would return the budget tosurplus in its first term.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott yesterday said the Coalitionwould “get back to surplus as quickly as possible”. the remarkthat followed moves by opposition frontbenchers to back awayfrom a pledge by shadow treasurer Joe Hockey to post regularsurpluses of 1 percent of gross domestic product, approximatelyA$15 billion, if elected. Page 1.
–Shareholders in Ausdrill were not told that thecompany’s managing director, Ron Sayers, had been charged withdefrauding the Commonwealth until more than seven weeks afterthe charges were laid.
The mining services firm revealed the charges last weekafter mr Sayers and Peter Bartlett, founder of industry peerBarminco and a long-time supporter of Ausdrill, pleaded notguilty. Shares in Ausdrill fell heavily yesterday, although thefirm managed to regain most of the lost ground by the end oftrading. Page 3.
THE AUSTRALIAN (theaustralian.news.com.au)
Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday declared that herpriority was to run Australia’s economy “in the interest ofworking people”, adding that the Federal Opposition’s TonyAbbott wanted to “chuck overboard” jobs in local manufacturing.
The claim came as 600 jobs at aluminium producer Alcoa’ssmelter in Geelong, Victoria, were thrown into doubt after thecompany announced a review into the viability of the plant. Page 1.
–Federal Manufacturing Minister Kim Carr yesterday criticised theGetUp! political activist organisation by warning that itscampaign against the country’s multi-billion-dollar furnitureindustry could result in a severe level of job cuts.
The left-wing group’s advertisements, produced inconjunction with the Markets for Change environmental lobby,attack retailer Harvey Norman over its use ofAustralian native timber products by claiming the company andthe sector is threatening wildlife and contributing to globalwarming. Page 1.
Cesar Melhem, Victorian state secretary of the AustralianWorkers Union, yesterday said there was a strong argument infavour of providing federal and state support to preventaluminium producer Alcoa’s plant in Geelong, Victoria, fromshutting down.
“It is an ageing plant but it had been making money untilsix or seven months ago it is a matter of weathering thestorm,” mr Melhem added. Page 1.
Jacques Nasser, former chief executive of Ford, yesterdaypublicly backed taxpayer assistance for local car manufacturersbut insisted that any support should be linked to appropriategoals, including a boost to productivity.
“I’m a qualified supporter, a strong supporter for themoment but I’m not for unqualified, indefinite support,” MrNasser said. Page 1.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (smh.com.au)
A British newspaper yesterday revealed that Australia was an”integral” part of the potentially illegal withholding ofprisoners of war at a secret desert prison in Iraq nine yearsago.
The Guardian reported that Australia’s military may havehanded over detainees to the H1 “black site”, secret prisonsthat became public following the Abu Ghraib scandal in 2003,which could result in Australian defence personnel beingcomplicit in war crimes.
The report is the first time Australia has been linked withany incidents of this nature. Page 1.
–It was revealed yesterday that the death of Tamati Grant, whowas hit by a train at Kogarah Station in new South Wales in2010, could have been avoided if it was not for a series oferrors and breaches of protocol by RailCorp staff.
According to a report published this week by the state’sOffice of Transport Safety Investigation, mr Grant was part of ateam that was cleaning the tracks when a signaller at RailCorp’scentre in nearby Sydenham misled the group of men to believe itwas safe to begin work. a coronial inquest is ongoing. Page 1.
Child protection officers in the United States have taken agay couple’s six-year-old son into custody while United Statesand Australian authorities conduct an investigation into thepair’s alleged participation in an international paedophilering.
According to a report filed by police in Los Angeles, thearea’s Department of Children and Family Services has a videothat allegedly shows the son “watching a film of pornographywith another child and speaking in an explicit sexual manner”. the men’s Queensland home has also been searched. Page 1.
–Staff at the Star casino in new South Wales have been ordered bymanagement to not talk about the company on social media or totalk to the press as it tries to handle the fallout from thefiring of former managing director Sid Vaikunta.
Murray McCall, acting managing director of the casino,e-mailed staff saying they should “not spread rumours orgossip”. mr Vaikunta was sacked after “his behaviour in asocial work setting” last week, which is understood to bereferring to allegations of sexual harassment. Page 3.
THE AGE (theage.com.au)
Internal documents from Victoria Police uncovered yesterdayhave revealed that the most covert unit within the state’spolice watchdog functioned with “limited accountability”, wasslow to act on internal misconduct and had “little governance”.
According to statements sworn by several workers in theOffice of Police Integrity two years ago, claims have beenlevelled against the secretive division for falsifyingsurveillance logs and bullying of a whistleblower who reportedmisconduct within the unit. Page 1.
Australian baseball player Daniel McGrath has earned aA$400,000 sign-on bonus after he agreed to leave the MelbourneAces for the Boston Red Sox on a seven-year contract.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play major leagues forthe Boston Red Sox,” mr McGrath said, who used to watch games atFenway Park in the United States with his mother.
The left-handed pitcher’s salary is believed to be thefifth-largest amount paid to any of the 435 Australians thatplay professional baseball in the United States. Page 1.
David Davis, Victorian Minister for Health, yesterday saidthe state government was taking threats of mass resignationsfrom thousands of nurses “very seriously”.
Lisa Fitzpatrick, state secretary of the Australian NursingFederation, yesterday confirmed that thousands of letters fromnurses granting her the power to resign on their behalf had beenmailed to the union.
“There is obviously a very significant number of nurses thatare considering their future permanent employment in the publicsector,” Ms Fitzpatrick said. Page 3.
The assistant state secretary of the Construction, Forestry,Mining and Energy Union, John Setka, and former union officialMatt Hudson, has been fined A$750 and A$500 respectively aftermajor criminal charges against the pair fell apart.
The pair were facing 15 charges following an incident on abuilding site in Carlton, Victoria, three years ago, but 13 ofthe charges were dropped after the evidence of inspectors fromthe Australian Building and Construction Commission was calledinto question. Page 3.
20 Feb 12 What Happens If Pet Waste Removal Is Not Completed In A Timely Manner
Spending time with our pets is an ideal experience overall. They provide us with the love and company we need and crave. although we love our furry pets, there is one aspect of pet ownership which may not be as savory and that is waste removal. Pet waste removal is the act of cleaning up the doggie doo from our yard and doing so on a continual basis. some pet owners become frustrated and lackadaisical when it comes to cleaning the yard. They often wonder what will happen if they don’t clean up in a timely manner. the following will offer some insight into this aspect:
Pet Waste is bad For Your Health and the Health of Your Dog
If as a pet owner you fail to remove the pet wastes from the yard in a timely manner, you could be adversely affecting the health of you, your family and your pup. Waste buildup is not only unpleasant to the eye, but can lead to unhealthy drinking water and cause other hazardous situations around the home. it contains bacteria and other infectious materials which, if left for too long, could create a hazardous health situation. therefore, for the health of all individuals involved it is crucial to pick it up as soon as possible.
Pet Waste Smells Bad
Also, when you fail to pick up the dog waste in a quick manner, it will start to smell really bad after a while. You want your yard to look clean and smell fresh. therefore, you simply must remove the pet waste in as timely a manner as possible.
Leftover Pet Waste creates a Mess and Clogs the Yard
You will also find that when you don’t pick up the pet waste, it will tend to accumulate and simply clog up your yard. this means that you are unable to use your yard as you would like and your neighbors surely won’t appreciate the mess either.
For those who don’t have the time to pick up after their dogs, a pet waste removal company provides the answer. these professionals come to your home and do the dirty work for you. They are reasonably priced and will work on a schedule set up ahead of time by you. if you find yourself short on time, you can always turn to removal companies to get the job done right. You can use a pet service locator website to find a pet care company in your area or use the Yellow Pages to see which companies offer services such as these. Also, consider asking your pet’s veterinarian as they may be able to refer someone as well. They will clean up the waste should you be unable to do so in a timely manner.
20 Feb 12 The Press Association: Station cleaners to go on strike
Station cleaners to go on strike
(UKPA)–6 days ago
Workers who clean St Pancras station in London are to stage two 48-hour strikes in a dispute over pay.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union based will walk out from 6am on Thursday and from the same time on March 1.
The cleaners, working for Initial on a Network Rail contract, said they have not had a pay rise in four years and have now been offered an “insulting” increase of 13p an hour.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: ”It is a shocking indictment of London as a city that the luxurious terminal is cleaned by an exploited workforce on poverty wages and that Network Rail have done nothing to stop their contractors, Initial, from treating their staff like dirt.”
The St Pancras facilities are used by Eurostar, East Midlands, first Capital Connect and Southeastern High Speed, although Eurostar said cleaning of the area it operates from will not be affected.
The union secured a pay rise to £8 an hour for cleaners employed by OCS last week after threatening industrial action and said it will continue to campaign for an increase in the £6.76 an hour paid to Initial staff.
Copyright © 2012 the Press Association. All rights reserved.
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