People have been extra riled up and angry at the Sanitation Department over their underwhelming performance cleaning up snow and trash after the Blizzageddon a few weeks back. But maybe people have been too hard on them—after all, it's not like they went to Harvard or anything! Except, they did: several top sanitation officials who are being investigated for the alleged slowdown were sent to Harvard for training—and it was paid for courtesy of taxpayers.
Ten sanitation bosses were sent to Harvard for "management programs" between 2004 and 2008, that cost taxpayers a total of $106,000. Those bosses include City Sanitation Department Supervisor Steven Harbin, Deputy Director Dennis Diggins, Sanitation Chief Peter McKeon and Director John Nucatola. Besides the expenses for attending Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the bosses also charged taxpayers for meals, gas and parking during their two week courses; the News has a breakdown of their six-digit salaries and expenses here.
In the aftermath of the snow removal disaster, these bosses were told not to destroy emails or documents while the DOI looks for criminal wrongdoing in the disastrous blizzard response. The News adds that the department "couldn't immediately supply the reports city employees must file describing what they learned in their Ivy League outings." What nuggets of wisdom might be stored in these waste-management artisans journals?
