Skidmark Bob is at it again! I always love his humorous and creative -- yet scathing -- critiques. Thanks for the post.

What is the problem? Privacy? I know for a fact that the county dump does very little to try to help people reuse materials that are dropped there.

What a load of trash!

Lets all do the dumpsterdive, in fact leave your recyclables/ clothes, etc. outside the can or dumpster in a bag so that some of us hoary dumstster divers don't have to even go to the can. Of course, you may find that this too is against the law, but remember, laws are made to be broken.

People should call the public works dept and express their outrage:

Santa Cruz Public Works Department
City Departments and Divisions

Mark Dettle, Director

809 Center Street, Room 201
Santa Cruz, California 95060
Hours:
Monday through Friday,
7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Monday through Thursday,
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed Friday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (831) 420-5160
FAX: (831) 420-5161
e-mail: citypw (at) ci.santa-cruz.ca.us

If it wasnt for myself & others dumpsterdiving food etc i wouldnt be able to survive in Santa Cruz.

the poor people are coming!
the poor people are coming!

I looked at the Santa Cruz city newsletter. It is not about dumpster diving; the newsletter talks about people taking aluminum cans to sell that people leave out for city trucks to collect. The newsletter article is not about dumpster diving. I think that "Skidmark Bob" who wrote started this news thread is fear-mongering or something.

i agree with jones12

the newsletter does not talk about dumpsterdiving for food. it says that people scavenge for recyclables that the city uses to fund its recycling program. it seems like it would be harder for the city to have a decent recycling program without adequate funding. maybe if scavenging is reduced, the city will take in more recycling money and would be able to expand the program!

Jones 12 dont get it, Dumpsterdiving IS against the law it doesnt matter if its a recycling can or a dumpster the point Skidmark Bob makes in his own way is that it IS Illegal to be poor it is Illegal to survive some poor person digging a few cans out of the can aint gonna affect the recycling program, and as for the peice itself it is a FEAR propaganda that is prevelant in our society driving a everwiding shim between the haves and the havenots.

Homeless recyclers do a world of good for our environment. On their own initiative, they scavenge along freeways and alleyways for aluminum cans and other recyclables. We should treat them with the same respect we do a Boy Scout troop doing beach clean-up.

Instead, the anti-homeless cash-poor city is killing two birds with one stone. Arresting homeless people and putting them in jail (oh that's cheap!!!)AND insuring that EVERY PENNY collected goes to them.

Can the cost saved by busting a homeless recycler and stopping them from redeeming their share of reyclable income possibly balance out the costs of police, courts and jails for prosecution?

I don't want random people going through my trash outside my home. Is that too much to ask? I would rather the money go the city who can then create programs.