failure to communicate

*** FLASH!!! *** 

January 19, 2024

The town STILL hasn't figured out how to notify EVERY citizen in the town (INCLUDING those who don't have a computer or smartphone, those who don't have Facebook, etc.) that trash won't be picked up as scheduled. 

C'MON, TOWN!!!

then we get this vague message:

"There will be NO trash pick-up on Friday, January 19. WasteManagement plans to be in town tomorrow, Saturday, January 20, to collect Thursday's trash. They will be dispatching a second truck later in the day on Saturday for Friday's collection but are not sure they will be able to get all pick-ups due to time limitations with landfill hours and DOT regulations. If your trash is not collected, it will be collected next week. We are sorry for the inconvenience but Mother Nature is at work again."

Where does that leave folks whose trash is regularly scheduled to be picked up on Friday? "...next week..."?!? on Friday??? with TWO weeks' worth of trash??? NOT stinking up our house. our trash can is at the curb--and that's where it will stay until the town and WM get their act together.

At least it's good to know that someone is working (Mother Nature).

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how do you get important public information where you live? email? message on your phone? how many places do you know of where the ONLY source of important public information is facebook?

Here's an example of how the town of strasburg doesn't communicate important public information with it's citizens:

"Town of Strasburg

December 14 at 3:01 PM

Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, there will be NO TRASH SERVICE on Thursday, Dec. 15. Thursday's trash will be picked up on Friday, Dec. 16 and Friday's trash will be picked up on Saturday, Dec. 17. Please, place trash out the night before for early pick-up. Please, let your friends and neighbors know about this change."

Town of Strasburg | Strasburg VA | Facebook 

so, if you live in strasburg and want important public information, then you have to:

1. be clairvoyant and KNOW that there's important public information to be had.
2. log into the town's pitiful facebook page.
3. search for the important public information.
4. HOPE that you find it.
5. HOPE that you find the important public information in time BEFORE it's too late.

• never mind that most people aren't clairvoyant.
• never mind that some citizens aren't on facebook.
• never mind that some citizens don't have 24/7 access to a smartphone or a PC.
• never mind that those people who have facebook typically work for a living and have more important things to do than to hang around the town's pitiful facebook page waiting for important public information.
• never mind that it's not the job of citizens to inform other citizens of important public information ("Please, let your friends and neighbors know about this change.")

has it ever occurred to the people at town hall to conduct a survey of its citizens to find out how ineffective their facebook ONLY non-communication with citizens is?

answer: of course NOT 

so, if you want to live in a town with an unimaginative government that fails to provide important public information to its citizens in a timely manner, then strasburg is the town for you.