In 1982, a record 23.8 inches of snow paralyzed the city of Denver and a few months later, longtime Mayor Bill McNichols lost his job. It took 33 hours for Stapleton Airport to open and the city side streets and sidewalks were impassable for weeks.
This week, New York City was hit with a “bomb cyclone” and 20 inches of snow in Central Park. Yet, within 24 hours the city’s streets and sidewalks were cleared and the city was open for business. The difference: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani turned to a longtime program, expanded publicity and gave a higher incentive. The city offered $30 an hour for anyone able to shovel snow. A reported 1,400 people shoveled for hours; cleared the streets and sidewalks; made some extra money; and likely poured that revenue back into the city.
What a simple, genius idea…