State Rep. Frank Nicastro said tonight that he got caught cheating on municipal recycling rules.
Nicastro said that he got nailed for tossing junk mail in his garbage can that should have been put into his paper recycling bin.
"I apologize for putting junk mail in my trash," said Nicastro, a Democrat who is also a city councilor. "I'll try to do better."
It appears that Channel 61 convinced public works inspectors charged with monitoring recycling compliance to check the trash cans of Mayor Art Ward and the entire council - something that not even Public Works Director Walter Veselka knew anything about until sometime today.
Though I'm not sure, I believe all of them broke some kind of rule.
"We are human beings," Ward said, and make mistakes.
Making a ban pun off Bristol's "pilot program" to put all recycling in a single can -- which it's trying in one portion of town -- city Councilor Craig Minor declared "we're the pirate program" now.
Channel 61 has appointments to talk with Ward, Nicastro and at least some of the rest of the council on Wednesday. The politicians expect to be asked how come they didn't comply with recycling rules.
Nicastro said he suspects Bristol's political leaders were targeted because the city's single stream recycling experiment has attracted attention across the state.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley wanted to know if it's legal to paw through trash that people put at the curb.
Veselka said he thinks that garbage at the curb belongs to the city.
But city Councilor Cliff Block said the tv station apparently rode along with inspectors from the city so its camera crew didn't actually pick up the trash, which is apparently what at least some other councilors were also told.
Minor said his garbage was picked through last week, but some was checked this week, officials said.
"Maybe somebody put stuff in our trash," said Ward, smiling in a way that made it pretty obvious he knew that wasn't what happened.
One thing's for sure: somebody in public works is going to be answering a lot of questions from angry politicians tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the rest of us will be watching Channel 61 to see if it found anything more fun than junk mail in anyone's trash.
Update on Wednesday, 3 p.m. - It turns out that public works crews had nothing to do with checking officials' recycling. The TV station did that on its own, perhaps illegally.
Anyway, read this for the full story.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
16 comments:
What a great story. Another perfect demonstration of how our people in office do NOT lead by example. I'm glad Fox 61 exposed them. Seems to be they way they do everything around here.
"Do as I say, not as I do" LMAO
IT just shows that they are human and not a wannabe that can not be
I think that we can all breathe a little easier now knowing that city leaders will now be recycling their junk mail.
Coem on, I'm sure nearly every person in the city has at least something in their trash that they "should have" recycled, even if they are trying hard to do a good job.
This is why I watch NBC 30. Fox 61has nothing better to do than to report on the disposal habits of our politicians homes? Even if one person in the home does a perfect job recycling, they can't be expected to police the others in their home. I know that my husband recycles better than I do.
Why don't they investigate the CNG overbilling scandal? Or if they are hell bent on a recycling story, why don't they investigate the State's recycling ability?
I always threw my junk mail in the regular trash too! Guess I was wrong. At least paper is biodegradable!!
Is anyone really surprised by the 'revelation ' that democrats have no actual concern over the environment ?
These " leaders " would rather blame others than accept personal responsibility .
Keep up the good work 61 .
Actually, now that I think about it, the real problem is junk mail itself. Can you imagine how much paper could be saved if we didn't receive a credit card offer in the mail every other day? I know the article isn't about junk mail specifically, but I think they need to nip the problem in the bud. What a waste junk mail is.
10:31
Hey .... lay off the credit card offers !!!!!!!!!
I use them for identification when I vote ... That way I get to vote more than once every election .
How do you expect us democrats to keep in control if we can only vote once . GEESHHH !!!!!!
Deputy Mayor Nicastro ain't setting a good example.
Maybe it is because he is to busy being our:
1. Council man
2. Legislator
3. Deputy Mayor
4. Saviour
5. Local Available Bachelor
When I get junk mail at home or my PO Box, I rip it up and stuff it into the pre-paid/response return envelope that usually come with the junk mail. Then I drop it in the mail. Hopefully they get the point and will eventually advertise less once they start to lose a little bit of money from rising mailing costs.
February 13, 2008 10:25 AM: Just because Frank didn't know he's supposed to recycle junk mail, he has "no actual concern over the environment"?! Yer a pathetic, self-righteous schmuck.
Isn't Frank on the Public Works Board?
Steve: Reprobate, a big word. Did you get that from Artie?
Yeah, I get all my big words from Artie.
Good for you, Steve, to try to expand your readers' vocabulary once in awhile. I know you have to write at a third grade level for most of these clowns, but it's nice to stretch every now and then.
SESQUIPEDALIAN
Post a Comment