Critics: State road mowing cutback could cause problems

Cost-cutting decisions by the state Department of Transportation and Nassau County to scale back mowing operations have led to scruffy roadsides of tall grass and weeds, including along the Northern and Southern State parkways, the Long Island Expressway , Sunrise Highway and county roads.

[MCR]

goats...

[Jay]

MCR wrote:

goats...

I don't know if automobile insurance policies cover collisions with goats...

Simple solution, seek out volunteers to cut the grass with county equipment and fuel. The salary expenses saved (steep union charges), would then allow costs to fall within the annual budget.

[Balto]

But welfare "entitlement" payments to the slackers and breeders are up more than 10%(soon to be 30%).

Of course you can't leave a comment on that article.

[liner]

How are they saving money? The guys who do the mowing are still getting paid, aren't they?

[Breadguy]

I would like to know if we are saving money, why are taxes still going up, and did we lay off any workers, or what are they doing if not cutting grass. I know the article said they are working on MORE IMPORTANT JOBS, "LIKE WHAT"

[baddabing]

Hysterical, how grass is a priority in Suffolk County, while heroin use , violent crime, and police presence is expendable.

[Jim]

Frankly, I prefer that they let the grass grow a little. Long Island is vastly over-manicured. My block looks sterile and mass produced because the yard is nothing but scalped grass.

[Caveman]

Who are the idiots calling it an 'eyesore'?(Most overused term ever.) It's friggin' grass. Amber waves of grain. LI people ain't happy unless they're bitching about something that's really nothing.

[dan walsh]

take a look at the thruway grass. it is cut back as far as you can see. is this not the same state. do they have more pride up there.the state workers here just drive around with 4 guys in a truck driving at 5mph doing nothing.

[what a county]

I think all the mowers were busy sitting in their trucks at the ramps to the Bethpage Parkway during the US Open. After all, closing the road was not good enough. We needed 15 men to supervise the cones.

[Dave]

what a county wrote:

I think all the mowers were busy sitting in their trucks at the ramps to the Bethpage Parkway during the US Open. After all, closing the road was not good enough. We needed 15 men to supervise the cones.

HAAHAHA, so true. I noticed this too. "Par" for the course around here.

[liner]

what a county wrote:

I think all the mowers were busy sitting in their trucks at the ramps to the Bethpage Parkway during the US Open. After all, closing the road was not good enough. We needed 15 men to supervise the cones.

Wonder what that wound up costing us?

[get out now]

liner wrote:

How are they saving money? The guys who do the mowing are still getting paid, aren't they?

Of course they still get paid...I'm sure they worked some numbers out...move around OT that they think is a 'right' and somehow calculated that by having them sit at the DOT office was more cost effective than actually having them do their job.

Another useless state Dept..the DOT who clearly exists for no other reason but to take up space. They certainly are not designing efficient roads, on/off ramps or anything eles useful

[nal]

Funny, I think the roads look better when the DOT only mows a limited strip. Grasses aren't really meant to be cut to three inches high. I alwas appreciate the view of the grasses as they blow in the slightlest breeze. Not to mention the improved habitat the tall grasses provide if they are only mown every other year - which prevents woody vegetation from establishing.

[Word]

I like the new look much better. It's more natural. If some pine barrens have to burn, so what. Random (or controled) forrest fires are better for the ecology and help release coniforous seeds.
The Department of the Interior's policy on controlling wild fires at all costs is stupid!

[Concerned about waste]

It is funny that the State can afford to have workers sit in a truck all day doing nothing and not cut the grass. During the US Open when the sate closed the Bethpage parkway, they had State vehicles manned at each entrance and exit of the parkway. These huge vehicles were huge and blocked the entire exit and did not need to be manned 24 seven. I imagine that THIS was the more important duties the state was explaining about in the article other than cutting the grass. What a waste of money and resources.

[taxpayer in nassau county]

I think the overgrown grass looks hideous/is an eyesore. Where are all of our taxpayer dollars going? The state gov't is in ruins, the streets have potholes, there are limited community services, and now they can't even cut the grass. Gimme a break. As a taxpayer, I would like to know what "more important" things they're doing. We have a right to know.

[enzo]

as a taxpayer and a civil servant close to this nightmare i would like to critique and offer a rebutle to our dear mrs. peters! try and save all the money you wish! our once beautiful parkways that are maintained by the most underpaid and dedicated civil servants on the map by the way? not only are becoming a breeding ground for ticks,chiggers and ?yes!mosquitoes.what fuel savings ? mowers are still using the same amount of fuel? what happens when these mowers begin to break down and need to be fixed? are we saving any money?....let's move on? grass clippings that are so course and thick and end up covering our drains? what happens when a car hydroplanes due to this high grass that clogs them up? shall i continue? well i will........why cut overtime to people who make just enough above the poverty level ,yet our state can afford to pay contractors(thats right contractors)at an amount that the taxpayers would not be to happy about if they only knew what it cost!!!! your so called tree removal is all contracted out! am i lying here? the new york state department of transportation has the means and the know how to accomplish these task at the low wage you wish to pay them!!! our state is suffering not only because of this recession,but to overspending bureacrat's that sit behind a desk and do press interviews and trully are not in touch with the real world! sweetheart deals be gone and do not insult us hard workers ,who give up christmas or thanksgiving with our families becuase of the threat of snow! i will encourage all to .....under the "freedom of information act " to find out why our tax dollars do nothing.......but make a bunch of children that somehow got elected hold us back!!! three minute meeting in albany does not cut it! mr castillo i will be contactingyou and hope we can print this at some point.you did a lovely job as well as your co-workers on todays story,now it is time for the truth! i truly wish you would be understanding enough to keep this on a friendly basis or we can go elsewhere,although we truly do respect your reporting ability.

keep up the good work

p.s. there is plenty more

[Paul Sedgley Bethpage]

I noticed the new cutting procedures a month ago and commented to my kids that this is a good thing. Why they said. My response; This way we won't have to look at all the litter that is normally in view along the road. It's hidden in the tall grass. I love Long Island but it has become filthy and people are pigs. Litter will drive me off this island not high taxes.

[Banastre Tarleton]

You fire 20 workers and pay 10 illegals 125 a day and they will do 3 times more work, and it will cost 10 times less money...