Several people -- not just Ed in his recent comment -- have expressed Santa Monica envy re the discounted composters. One pal even wondered if he could bribe K into picking up one for him (and then said, "Oh, I guess I oughta return his cds before I ask a favor like that.")
Maybe I'll call up the city tomorrow and see what it would take to get something like that started for Pomona. I gather that it's a special deal with S&H, as a number of municipalities around the country have the exact same pricing structure.
I think we'd absolutely have to have the non-resident boost, since all the Claremonters will be swarming city hall asking for their Smith & Hawkenware. But there are worse things than Pomona earning a reputation as the greenest town in the Pomona Valley -- without going so far as to astroturf public lands. Talk about the tragedy of the commons!
4 comments:
Thanks for taking an active role in improving Pomona.
I'm not trying to be obnoxious to the city staff, but could you post the city's response and include the name of the city employee. Hopefully, the city administration will see the value of being in the forefront, but I'm guessing NOT.
I'm not going to be too upset if Pomona can't hook us up with cheap composters -- I mean, the city has a few other problems to work on. :-(
I wonder if there is any way to get some sort of county agency on the problem? I noticed that up in the Bay Area, several of the counties were distributing similar composters for similar prices.
I'm more interested in how the city handles the query than in the "blue light special", but $25/$35 is quite a deal.
We have an abundance of pundits claiming the city is part of the problem. Here is an addressable finite issue, so what will the city staff do. I'm even ok if they punt the problem to the county, because they will have chosen an action.
My fear (more a concern) is that the city staff fixates on the "few other problems" and never moves the city forward, even incrementally. I'm not here shouting derelict to every city employee, but as residents, we should expect some level of accountability. For instance, why does a city employee handling graffitti park his vehicle on the grass in LP only to talk on his cell for thirty minutes? Why has a year old request to post the Council minutes online still not been addressed? I've got a great one on the Safe Routes to School program.
Sorry for the rant, and I do agree the city has "larger fish to fry" than composters, but it's a start. Shouldn't it be in a city where the average resident would never contemplate a Smith & Hawken composter, that the city actually makes it happen.
I may be taking this post farther than Meg intended, but should we really be arguing for mediocrity? Can this city move forward if it never looks beyond those "few other problems"?
"My Pomona" is progressive and innovative, despite the socioeconomic reality. What's yours? :-)
"My Pomona" is progressive and innovative, despite the socioeconomic reality. What's yours? :-)
Well said. I try to be progressive and innovative, and I certainly want my city to be the same way. I generally fall rather short of that, and I won't be surprised if my city does, too.
I'm not really sure what to do for Pomona -- we've been here nearly six months, and I still don't know how things work, or even where my effort should be going. I slacked off on Ed's Lincoln Elementary PTA stuff, only to discover that school was out on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and it was too late to contribute.
I guess there's always the argument that city staff could be sitting around, burned out on trying to fix the bazillion problems of Pomona, and might be enthusiastic about doing something green. I guess it can't hurt.
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