Published: December 5, 2023
By: Michael Kraten, PhD, CPA
Rats throughout New York City must be celebrating the news that New York City Mayor Eric Adams just proposed the elimination of the Big Apple’s organic composting program. After all, much of the estimated 8 million pounds of food and other organic waste that New York produces each day may become available to rodents if not processed in some responsible manner.
Adams says that an ongoing municipal budget crisis requires him to implement across-the-board spending cuts to divert funds to manage the arrival of migrants from Texas. Adams blames the federal government for its failure to provide fiscal support to house the migrant population, (literally) saying “Don’t yell at me, yell at D.C.”
Oddly enough, the city’s Universal Organics Collection Law became effective in July 2023, a mere four months ago. The law built upon the success of a voluntary demonstration project that was launched last year under Mayor Adams.
Of course, any competent risk manager would caution critics to review the Mayor’s plans for diverting the organic material before castigating the proposal to eliminate the composting program. It is possible that an alternative pipeline of waste flow could address the possible risk that the waste would end up feeding the rat population.
Unfortunately, the Mayor has not yet presented an alternative plan. It is possible that his proposal is simply a negotiating ploy.
The rats, however, are undoubtedly hoping for the best. Writing on behalf of the human population, though, the rodents’ best outcome might prove to be our worst.
An earlier version was published at michaelkraten.blogspot.com. All rights reserved by author.
For additional information, we recommend:
WASTEDIVE Proposed NYC budget cuts ‘devastating’ for community composters https://www.wastedive.com/news/dsny-community-compost-budget-cuts-big-reuse-les-ecology-center-compost-power-nyc/700572/.
HEATMAP POLITICS Eric Adams Just Cut the Only NYC Compost Programs That Ever Worked https://heatmap.news/politics/eric-adams-compost-nyc-budget