Only in New Orleans can garbage collection consistently dominate the headlines. The issue now is whether the monthly trash pickup fee should be increased from $24.
Mayor Helena Moreno said on WWL radio that the fee in New Orleans is “out of whack.” She points to other parishes, such as Jefferson Parish, where the monthly trash collection fee matches the actual cost of trash collection. What she fails to address, however, is why the $25 per month Jefferson Parish residents pay for twice-weekly trash pickup covers the full cost of that service, whereas the $24 per month New Orleans residents pay does not come close to covering once-weekly pickup and recycling…