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Will Budget Cuts Contribute To A Rodent Takeover?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 31, 2010
Modified Mar 31, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 31, 2010
Modified Mar 31, 2010
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Sad Rat and Keyboard Cat play off the 27 slashed positions
Will budget cuts yield more rodents for the city? The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is trimming the number of pest control aides they have on payroll, from 84 to 57! The move will save them $1.5MM (it was mandated that they cut their budget by 15%), but at what cost.
According to MyFox5, the Health Department's Pest Control Services works with 19 other agencies to team up against rats in the city, and they claim they'll still be a vital part of this rodent-combating army. In a statement, they explained The Plan: "there are likely many lots that need cleaning but do not necessarily have ongoing significant rat problem. Reducing the number of lot cleaning teams will enable the program to more effectively target properties contributing to neighborhood rat infestation." So deal with the problem only when it becomes a problem?
Anyway, you can keep track of the growing population on this "rat complaint tracker" map. More coyotes please!
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Budget cuts
department of health
doh
rats
rodents
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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