As I'm sure everyone in the vicinity has heard. Waste Magament, the trash/recycling contractor for the county I live in: Alameda County is in the midst of an ongoing labor dispute. Stories of people's trash not getting picked up for 2 weeks are all over the news.
What I find a little more than embarrassing is that our trash is getting picked up. So why is my trash somehow more deserving that someone's in East Oakland? Sure it's a mostly white neighborhood, but I think the important point is more of social class. Regardless of race, it's a professional, mostly white-collar neighborhood. Average income is while not stratospheric, is likely above average and it appalls me that money is what has the clout in this country. That with limited "resources" (I believe the correct term is "scabs"), somehow my neighborhood ranks higher than East Oakland. Happy as I am to have my trash etc picked up, that really bites and sends a horrible message. And what really sucks is that it 's not like there's a picket line that I can't cross or something.
2 comments:
Um, Ellen? We don't have Waste Management for our household trash. We have Alameda County Industries, who isn't on strike.
You're right. I just check the two respective web sites (http://wmbayarea.wm.com/ and http:///www.alamedacountyindustries.com/) and they are different companies. However I've now heard from people in other parts of Oakland whose trash is being picked up.
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