Many New Yorkers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan have been dealing with a pretty harsh winter, and some serious problems around snow removal, but some of them have also seen another disturbing trend: loose garbage in bags, piled up on sidewalks, around curbs, and overflowing into the edges of busy urban roads. Near the end of January, this troublesome pattern was getting widely reported in different news venues, including a January 28 New York Post article disputing the city administration’s claims that trash removal crews were working around the clock to get rid of garbage. Although the Post’s coverage may be sensationalized a

An unusual case involving an 84-year-old Manhattan immigrant and a January 19 confrontation with police is an example of how mishandling public safety can lead to enormous financial liabilities for a local government. January 27 reports in the New York Daily News online show an extreme police response regarding an alleged case of jaywalking that appears to have been a debatable cause for police to get involved in the first place. The case also involves the citizen’s limited ability to speak and understand English, which, along with other factors, led to personal injury that appears to be well beyond the scope of what’s usual and