(Bloomberg) -- In a slap at New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's handling of basic city services, Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday suggested a solution: soldiers.
“If they can't do it, I have offered to send in the National Guard to come help pick up the garbage,” Cuomo said at a news briefing. “The state can bring in trucks, personnel, and clean up the city.”
The governor's offer came two weeks after de Blasio announced a plan to boost trash pickup and reduce trash on streets by restoring 65 weekly litter-basket trucks in 27 neighborhoods. De Blasio was responding in part to complaints from business leaders that quality-of-life issues are deterring workers from going back to the office -- a key to economic revival.
On Tuesday, Cuomo said that “cleanliness matters” during a pandemic.
“I understand there's a higher level, because people are staying at home, but in this environment, we do not need people complaining about the cleanliness of the city,” said Cuomo, who has frequently clashed with his fellow Democrat.
At City Hall, mayoral spokesman Mitch Schwartz said the effort to step up trash collections would proceed despite declining revenue that led to more than $20 million trimmed from the Sanitation Department budget.
“This shouldn't be about politics,” Schwartz said. “It should be about every New Yorker working together to maintain the clean, safe communities we need.”
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli reported persistent cleanliness problems on city streets in a Sept. 16 audit. Out of 271 streets and sidewalks inspected, 189 streets and 159 sidewalks were dirty, the audit said.
The Sanitation Department “did not effectively utilize or share relevant information across its bureaus and divisions,” inspectors found. It also didn't “monitor the daily performance of its street cleaning staff nor do supervisors monitor the cleanliness of NYC streets and sidewalks,” the report said.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
