Thursday, April 7, 2011

The Latest News and Ideas on My In-Depth Topic

RATS IN NYC

New Related Stories

1. Video of Two Brooklyn Women Fight Over Spaghetti On The Subway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjXMTdTIreI

Related Article from the New York Post... even mentions that the Rats were victorious!  

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/subway_pasta_pounding_RwZtbLTQlsl3XhVpCqpj6L

2. Bloomberg does NOT think NYC has a Rat Problem

PIX 11-  http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-battle-against-citys-rats-heats-up-20110405,0,2215681.story

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants to launch a war on rats in New York City.
Stringer made the announcement today at a press conference in Washington Heights, where he said the problem has become unbearable.
"With this rat problem reaching epic proportions that the city would cut pest control workers by close to 70 percent," said Stringer.
Former city pest workers joined Stringer at the press conference.  They said city layoffs have allowed for rats to run wild because there are not enough pesticides being put out.
The announcement comes on the same day as new YouTube video emerged of a rat running lose through a subway.  The rodent forced people to stand on subway seats before it escaped into a subway station.
People who live in Washington Heights said they can not take it either.  Rats have made their backyards home.
"When I'm walking home or if anyone is and you know a rat will quickly pass them and you know, they have just to, jump," said Stephanie Augora, a lifetime resident of Washington Heights.
But Mayor Michael Bloomberg said rats are not a problem in New York, despite a recent rise in 311 complaints about the rodents running wild.
"I think the number of rats are actually down a good percent," said Bloomberg at a separate press conference today.
Stringer wants the city to hire back pest control workers in order to begin the battle and eliminate rats in New York.


3. Gothamist- http://gothamist.com/2011/04/05/mayor_bloomberg_does_not_think_ther.php

The city's Health Department has short-staffed its Pest Control team and the number of rat complaints are reportedly rising, so naturally Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer called a press conference today to talk about the problem. Specifically he wanted the city to man up and "reclaim the honor of being a national role model for rat control." But that bit of grandstanding by the mayoral-hopeful did not sit well with the guy who is currently not-actually-living in Gracie Mansion.

"I'm hearing story after story about people walking down the street and seeing a rat," Stringer said today before calling on the city “to do the right thing and hire enough pest control workers to wipe out this infestation once and for all.” Because, as far as Stringer is concerned "You can't reduce inspectors and think you're going to reduce the number of rodents."
But Hizzoner does not agree! "The city is doing a great job as a matter of fact," Bloomberg said this afternoon of the rodent situation. "It's a question of how you look at the numbers. It is true that complaints for rats went up something like one and a half percent. It's also true that complaints for everything go up something like five, six, ten percent on 311 because more people start to use it. That doesn't mean the problem is any worse. I think the problem probably is a lot better."

And just in case you weren't clear that Bloomberg didn't like Stringer's move, he gave a little civics lesson on what he thinks the job of Mayor of New York is: "The job is not to shove as many inspectors out there costing us as much money as you can. The job is to do what the public needs and do it as efficiently as you can...Anybody can spend more money."

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