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| Rose Timmer, Executive Director of Healthy Communities of Brownsville |
After several minutes of staring at the glob on the plate, trying to down a spoonful, but gagging in the process, the kid protesting the loudest was sent to bed without dinner. Little did he know at the time, but "dinner" would be reserved as breakfast come morning.
Having given up that brief glimpse of my childhood, we can turn our attention to Rose Timmer, the Executive Director of Healthy Communities of Brownsville, a non-profit. Timmer, who has been zealously trying to drum up interest, build a consensus, educate about and organize curbside recycling in the city, was deeply disappointed that no citizens showed up for the Curbside Recycling Workshop scheduled September 4 @ 7:00 PM at the Brownsville Police Department's Southmost Substation. Below is Timmer's Facebook response:
Rose Timmer
19 hours ago near Brownsville, TX
Very, very, very disappointed. Ruth, art rodriguez, Santana Torres came to support curbside recycling but no community members showed up. Very sad— feeling sad.
19 hours ago · Like · 1
Judy Vargas-Wooten Rose, i'm so sorry I wasn't able to come tonight & tomorrow is Bob's & my 55th anniversary. I am sorry I was unable to attend. I know that is very dissapointing for you & the other people.
19 hours ago · Like · 1
Denise Granado Chavez I'm sorry this seems to happen a lot with various community initiative...same people at all the events. Wish I could help on ideas to get more community members interested.
18 hours ago · Like · 1
Ruben O'Bell ....I believe children are our future....
18 hours ago · Like · 1
Lisa Mitchell-Bennett Sorry I wasn't there because I definitely support it! I am out of town though!
18 hours ago · Like · 1
Mary Helen Flores I understand that feeling and I am so sorry I wasn't able to attend. Please know that your efforts are appreciated by so many, including me. Don't give up.
18 hours ago · Like · 1
Sal Garza Wish I was there but I just finished my day right now. You do such a great job Rose. People notice your awesome work and dedication that you have. These things happen but just keeping doing the right thing. Just keep it going. We are blessed as a community to have you lead in this task and helping Brownsville be a healthier community. As a citizen I say thank you
18 hours ago · Like · 1
Frances Barrera Do on-line meetings or chats. After a long day at work, people just don't want to go sit in a meeting. If it's to float ideas, use this forum. If it is something that needs to be face to face, tell us what it's for or about or how important it is. And early enough to make plans. Set up a list serve and e-mail everyone when you need to get a good response.
17 hours ago · Like · 1
Pam Ramirez I wanted to be there too...but boot camp is at seven. I support your efforts wholeheartedly!!
17 hours ago · Like · 1
Terren Barton Aww I'm sorry aunt rose. . If I had a private jet I would have come and help! . Don't give up! Love ya
17 hours ago · Like
It's not that Mrs. Timmer hasn't tried. She described a 2009 attempt to implement curbside recycling in Brownsville as "a failure," and went back to the drawing board. "We didn't follow up or educate properly," she said.
During October and November of 2013, teams of block-walkers went into four distinct areas of the city to offer the service to 1,200 pre-selected homes. Door hangers, letters to the homeowner and other materials were provided in English and Spanish. According to Ms. Timmer, 447 of the 1,200 homeowners approached agreed to participate.
During the initial trial run, January 6, 2014, the program has a participation rate, Timmer said, of 13%. That means that 58 homes in the four areas actually pushed their recycle bins to the curb. Compared to the 1,200 homeowners offered the program, the participation rate is actually 5%.
Timmer stated that the City of Brownsville spent $17,000 on 1300 recycle bins of which 8 were stolen in the first week. Homeowners can get a replacement bin by filing a police report, then calling the city to request another bin, giving the number of the police report.
Following behind the Allied Waste truck picking up the contents of the recycle bins, Timmer was able to follow up on the program. Noting that one homeowner with whom she had personally talked had not put her bin curbside, she knocked on her door. The lady still had her bin, but felt that, with just three cans in it, it was not ready to take curbside. Timmer assured her that the program was weekly, regardless of the contents, and the bin was brought curbside.
In another situation, a man had an extraordinary amount of aluminum cans towering over his bin. Timmer was concerned that the cans might be stolen by someone wanting to exchange them for money.
So, the question is, with only 5% actual participation so far and 0% attending the workshop, is the goal to test this project's feasibility, practicality and acceptance by the citizens of Brownsville or will it be implemented come hell or high water because some in the city desire it so?
I use to recycle. At one time I cared. Now I do not give a rats ass about recycling due to this neighborhood busy body group called healthy communities of Brownsville . The bag ban is nothing more than a tax on the poor. I am not poor. I pay the tax if I am getting 1 bag or 5. Use them once and into the garbage can. Jim, are you not in the slightest interested in where the fees collected go? They go to fund poorly planned and executed pet projects like curb side recycling run by idiots. Citizens (most undocumented ) of brownsville, this is what you deserve.
ReplyDeletePoor Rose Timmer! Alas, what this woman needs is more money from the government in the thousands of dollars so she can buy more 1/2 page ads in the Brownsville Herald similiar to the cigarette butt disposal ads she buys on a regular bases. The only ones profiting from this is her and the Brownsville Herald at about $2,000 per ad. All she needs now is to hire Breeden McCumber and spend more handout bucks to produce some jazzy ads to make people accept curbside recycling. This lady is adament on shoving recycling down the taxpayers throats. She and Rose Gowen should just move out of here if they really don't like the fact that a lot of people don't want their ideology and will probably never change. She is bound to keep on trying simply because the freebie money is there. How long can we continue to milk the cow for handouts simply because we are the poorest city in the nation? How much longer are we going to waste money on these two individual's pet projects?
ReplyDeleteLets just be honest, this was approached wrong all over again. It would have been nice to start with a few recycle stations in an area around these neighborhoods.. if that worked, then progress into the homes. i don't know why they would use bins that are so inconvenient. They don't have wheels, and are a pain in the ass to lug to the end of my driveway. It's wrong to tell me "Hey you HAVE TO DO THIS!" Instead, make an alternative solution like small recycle containers in town that are easy accessible. I agree with the comments about the bag ban being nothing more than a fund for stupid pet projects by a certain few commissioners. It's disgusting to see how poorly planned these initiatives are handled. It's actually kind of funny that the only people who showed up were probably required to be there. The only ones who should be disappointed are the people who keep getting screwed over by these stupid pet projects.
ReplyDeleteRose should just go back to the Children's Musuem. I'm sure they miss her over there. After all children are our future or something.
ReplyDeleteDude, your cartoonist is sick in the head. That style tells me there is a worm in his/her brain. Stop humiliating her already!!!
ReplyDeleteRamiro,
DeleteYou give yourself away too easily. A Google search of "starts every sentence with 'Dude,' narrowed it down to three: Beavis, Butthead and Ramiro Gonzalez.
It appears to me that people are letting personality get in the way of a good idea. Really, tell me one thing that is not good about recycling.
ReplyDeleteWow. So many negative attitudes toward a genuinely good person who merely seeks to improve our environment and community. Yes, the bag ban is still controversial, even though we don't see anymore plastic bags littering our streets, flora and fauna. The bag fee (tax) is not consistently accounted for or reported to the city accurately. It is hit and miss from retailers where some do report the fees accumulated and others claim there are none to report or turn into the city coffers.
ReplyDeleteHow lazy can people get..."it is too hard to carry a milk crate bin to the curb" Wow. There are states where this same system is in place and their citizens manage to carry the crates to the curb without whining about having to do so.
Aside from uncooperative citizens who are apathetic toward helping to improve their own community are those who feel so deprived in life, that they steal the crates off the curbs. Pathetic mentalities of self imposed "me so poor" "I need to steal from everyone, because me so poor" Screw that! It is almost embarrassing to be Hispanic in this community with so many ridiculous self imposed mentalities that keep this place from progressing positively. I have never lived in a community that is its own worst enemy like this towns residents tend to display all too often.
Nonetheless, people like Rose who do give a damn will continue to try and make improvements with tax payers like us supporting her efforts, regardless of the nay saying peanut gallery.
The citizens fought back against city busy-body programs like this with a wall of apathy unseen since the non-appearance of Boys to Men some years back at the Sports Park.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, people like Rose who do give a damn will continue to try and make improvements with tax payers like us supporting her efforts, regardless of the nay saying peanut gallery.
ReplyDeleteTherein lies the rub.
Brownsville Look at Austin and other big cities see how they do it and JUST DO IT!!!! Why the meetings! I thought that Rose Gowen would head a project like this with bells on. What Happenend?????
ReplyDeleteI love the cartoon characters.Keep them coming. I think the genre of caricatures fits most of the public servants in Brownsville. These drawings bring to mind how the great Spanish artist, Goya would portray many royal family members of his time, in a very unflattering and all too realistic way. He made them look like rubes and country bumpkins wearing royal garb and jewels. Lo!
ReplyDelete