The End of Recycling for the Roach Family

In response to this recent TJ article http://is.gd/dkxv, our family will stop recycling by the end of 2009 if curbside pickup of recyclables is not put in place by then.

We will not continue to put in the effort of separating our recycling, packing it in our car and depositing it in community blue bins every week while our neighbours toss anything and everything in convenient black bags and dump them on the curb for pickup every week.

My family has been recycling since 2001, mostly as an example to our children since we believed this to be the responsible and sustainable way to live and protect our community. By the end of 2009 we will stop doing this if our city does not meet us halfway and provide curbside recycling pickup.

Saint John Needs City Hall to Join the Progress and Be Better

City Hall doesn't seem to understand that Saint Johners want our city to work, we want to praise city workers for a high level of service and support and celebrate the improvements that can be made in our city. Complaining and criticising City Hall is not what most of want to waste our energies on.

All around us are people working very hard in cooperation with each other to find better ways to do things and to make our city better and all we are asking is for City Hall to join in and do their part.

Criticism and critique should never go away, it is healthy. But there is an anger building toward City Hall that is legitimate and informed and it must be addressed with leadership and action and not platitudes and PR.

(written in response to the following editorial: Can managers manage to clean up city?)