Not ready for prime time: ‘Rio Nuevo’ Rick Grinnell touches the third-rail of Tucson politics – trash

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

"Hail Mary pass" GOP write-in candidate for mayor of Tucson "Rio Nuevo" Rick Grinnell proved that he is not ready for prime time with this interview in the Arizona Daily Star on Wednesday Garbage pickup every 2 weeks proposed, in which he touched the third-rail of Tucson politics – trash:

Aside from potholes, few things raise Tucsonans' blood pressure more than messing with garbage fees and service.

Ask former Republican City Council incumbents Fred Ronstadt and Kathleen Dunbar, who lost their seats in part because of a backlash against a $12-a-month garbage-fee increase passed in 2004.

But Republican mayoral candidate Rick Grinnell is ready to risk the discussion, proposing to extend pickup times to as much as once every two weeks.

Grinnell said while more discussion and evaluation is needed, it's an idea that would help the department cut costs on everything from tires to fuel to maintenance costs. Less wear and tear on the equipment, he predicted, would ultimately save on capital improvement costs.

Taxpayers might be willing to trade the service delay for a fee reduction, Grinnell said. "I think most would say it makes sense. How many times do they really fill that big can? When you drive around on trash day, how many people actually have the cans out in the street?"

Trash collection is an enterprise fund, meaning the department sustains itself on fees, instead of tapping the general fund [taxes].

As the old Irish song goes, Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, Grinnell's campaign is over before it really began. The Tucson Weekly follows up in this report Talking Trash | Tucson Weekly:

[I]n Tucson's City Council races, there is a major split between the parties on trash collection: The Democrats want to keep the current schedule of picking up garbage and recycling once a week, while Republicans say they'd explore different options, ranging from reducing service to privatizing the system.

Republican Rick Grinnell, who hopes to take the job of retiring Mayor Bob Walkup, says that the mayor and council should hold the line on the city's trash fee, which ranges from $15 to $16.75 per month, depending on the size of the customer's trash container. The fee covers the cost of the city's Environmental Services Department.

Earlier this year, the mayor and council voted to increase the residential fee by at least 50 cents per month as part of a budget deal. The fee, which has been a contentious issue in previous council elections, was put into place in 2004 to free up dollars in the city's general fund, which pays for police and fire protection, parks programs and other administrative business.

Instead of raising the fee, Grinnell says the city should have cut back trash service to once every 10 days or perhaps every other week.

"We extend these things out and save our resources," says Grinnell, a Rosemont Copper lobbyist. "It's common sense. That's the business side of running the government."

"The common sense … business side of running government" would also know enough to check with the Center for Disease Control and Waste Management for issues that "Rio Nuevo" Rick Grinnell never even considered: creating a breeding ground for disease, insects and rodents, not to mention the godawful smell of rotting garbage cooking in 110° heat in the summer sun wafting into your yard and home. As one friend said to me after reading Grinnell's proposal, "he wants to turn Tucson into Calcutta!"

I can tell you from personal experience that I have neighbors who fill up that 4-home garbage can in the alley before the weekend after a Tuesday pickup. I don't know what the hell this guy is talking about. Every two weeks will require another trash can — which is an additional expense, and an additional fee to customers.

At least the next mayor of Tucson "gets it":

Democrat Jonathan Rothschild calls Grinnell's idea to cut back on trash collection "beyond any form of reason."

"A major issue in this campaign is providing basic services to our citizens," says Rothschild, an attorney who is seeking the mayor's seat after stepping down from running the Mesch, Clark and Rothschild law firm. "I can't imagine what would happen to the washes, to the arroyos, to the streets, to the restaurateurs and the people who generate a lot of garbage—what would happen to the smell of our community if we went to collecting the trash once every 10 days."

Problems with trash collection are not on the minds of the voters, says Rothchild. "I've been on the campaign trail for more than a year, and I've not heard anybody complain about the service that's provided. I'm a big believer in, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'"

Without regular collection on the same day of the week, Rothschild worries that residents would forget which day they should roll out their barrels. "One week, it would be Wednesday, and the next week, it would be Saturday, and then maybe Thursday," he says. "I don't think it's well-thought-out."

Just how out of touch with the reality of Tucson politics is "Rio Nuevo" Rick Grinnell:

Grinnell doesn't see a problem in changing the schedule.

"Send 'em a notice in the water bill," he says. "You have to be flexible."

Dude, just phone in the rest of your campaign. You're done. If you don't get that you made the fatal mistake of touching the third-rail of Tucson politics, you are beyond hope.