Why do they need money?

I'd do it for free. Just let me have the firewood.

Give me a break.

ANOTHER reason to RECALL MAYOR PLUSQUELLIC!

ELM!!, ELM!!, DOES ANY BODY REMEMBER THE DUTCH ELM DISEASE IN THE 50'S. FIRESTONE BLVD, NORTH & SOUTH, WAS LINED WITH ELMS AND WHO GAVE A SH**. OBAMA PORK SHOULD PAY FOR JAPANESE CHERRY TREES LIKE WASHINGTON, OR HOW ABOUT MAHOGONY.

Why not let nature take its course? Let them die; then, if they are dangerous, cut them down. I have an enormous ash tree on my property, and that is what I am going to do.

@ Runuts:

Recall the mayor for requesting FEDERAL money to cut down and replant trees?! This action would, from a local perspective, be exactly what a good mayor would do. The result is federal money to local employees for a project that protects and preserves the city's flora.

I don't agree. It just sounds like a make-work project. I think that the money
should be used for a make-work project that makes sense. For instance . . . . . . the city is forcing us to use Frank Blvd to get from White Pond Drive to Market Street. The pavement of Frank Blvd is atrocious. Get the stimulus money and repair Frank Blvd.

rmk, akron

@ r m kraus

I understand your point of view, but it is very difficult to procure federal funds specifically to fix local roads. While I am definitely not a forestry expert, I think that it is probably prudent to fix or arrest the problem with federal funds. Keep in mind that even in these harsh economic times, not every local request for money is answered. Tree blights can spread, thus garnering the attention of federal money; bad roads don't.

TO: Pay Attention

I have never before engaged on line in a discussion with a particular person. I am pleased to have done this with you. I respect you, whoever you are.

Sincerely

Robert M Kraus citizen of Akron for eighty-eight years
Akron Ohio

What does the city do with all the money paid in? They raised the city tax to 2.25% and property taxes and they still do not have enough money. They sure haven't been spending much on fixing these roads around here that I know alot of them have been bad for at least 20 years. Every time they "need" money, some tax goes up or if they do fix a road your property tax bill goes up. Maybe they need to cut back on their "spending" like all of us have to do.

Why not use the stimulus money to create PERMANENT jobs?

It only takes a half day to cut down one tree.

ummmm got a bug problem?

I don't think stimulate this money was suppose to remove trees that might get infested? What a waste of $700.000 taxpayer dollars. Just another good reason to get rid of Mayor Don with the recall vote soon to come.

I only cost me $350 by a professional service to take down a tree in my yard including stump grinding that was 4 feet in diameter and 60 feet tall. Why is the city going to pay twice the price?

Someone is looking to load up their pockets.

There are plenty of people out there that will take those trees down for next to nothing just so they can have the firewood. How about exploring those options first before wasting tax-payer dollars?

@r m kraus, you can only use the money for the purposes as defined by the funding organization. In this case it is Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The ODNR money cannot be used to pave roads.

@RUNUTS, recall the Mayor for getting as much federal money as possible fort our city? Can you really be that stupid?

@OldManGrump, I guess you cannot read. The are not just funding the removal as you say. They are also funding the REPLACEMENT of the trees. Also, $350 is the price for a standard to smaller size tree with no overhead or nearby interference. I am guessing many of these trees will not just be a straight fall and will need to be pieced to come down safely.

They are trying to stimulus money to cut down and replace trees. Wake up people where do you think the Fed's are getting that stimulus money? From US! Instead of City, County, and state governments trying to get money from the "Fed's", they should be demanding to give the money back to the tax payers.

It is unbelievable where our tax money is being spent.

This is NOT what stimulus dollars were intended to pay for! www.akronwatch.org

at least this money will be better spent than fencing the bridge also turn the removed trees into firewoood and sell it to public, use the recoverd moneys for education, keep the circle going always accept fed moneys when applicable to help or increase services too mmuch of the fed moneys never return , like a stop pocket effect.find ways to benefit the most,

The fact is the federal government is going to spend this money no matter what. Our local governments should be trying to get as much of it as possible so we all see a benefit from our tax money.

The question I have is: what is going to happen to the trees that are cut down? Ash is a very valuable wood. We can get more than a few baseball bats out of it. Would the city take them off of our properties and sell the wood to make a profit? We would probably not get a cut of that. I think that the owner of the property should decide 1)if the tree gets cut down, 2)what is to be done with the wood, and 3) decide what kind of tree will replace it should they decide to have the ash removed.

@Grump, you really flaunt your ignorance when something like this comes up. When your favorite American Idol doesn't win, I'm sure that'll be one more reason to get Mayor Don out of office.

@Gain, you're absolutely correct.

I have a hunch that the people who say "stimulus for permanent jobs" are the same ones who say "gov't involvment in business is socialism." The short-term, infrastructure boosting nature of the stimulus is meant to give a kick-start to projects, then it's up to private industry to build some long-lasting opportunity from it. Seems like an effort to inject work and money without takin the reins of the means of production for the long term. The auto and bank issues are a different story altogether -- necessary due to the magnitude and impact.

Come on, stimulus money? Give us a break Don

When are people going to wake up and stop looking at Washington politicians as SANTA CLAUS??? We are so far into debt to China etc. for these Stimulus LOANS that it's a nightmare! We pay INTEREST on all those billions BORROWED!

And, as OUR money is sucked out of Akron to Washington, and then as it TRICKLES DOWN thru a dozen layers of BUREAUCRATS, all that happens is more government "workers" (parasites) have more MAKE-WORK jobs. The amount that will finally be left for tree removal will be pathetic.

And THIS wreaks of payola:

"Akron also is applying for nearly $700,000 in federal stimulus money for a tree survey that would identify damaged trees, as well as spots for additional trees. This money also would pay for replacement trees."

Why can't the City identify damaged trees?? Aren't there urban forestry people working for the city?



The program would involve workers from Davey Resource Group — part of the Davey Tree Expert Co. of Kent — fanning into neighborhoods with portable computers."

Political Idiocy knows no bounds.

Officials are seeking about $762,000 to take down and replace all ash trees — an estimated 1,075 trees.

Perhaps this is why the mayor Don is facing a recall. Foolish ideas such as this one, will help the mayor lose.

You need to get an education about the problem.

There won't be enough Davey Tree trucks in Ohio to take the trees down once they start falling apart.

And you can't transport the infected wood outside the county. And rotten wood doesn't burn well, either. So much for that brainstorm.

''They become dangerous — very brittle and they fall apart very quickly — when they die,'' Hahn said.

These are hundred pound branches falling, not twigs and berries. And they land on things - your house, your car, your kids.

So - the state, county and local people are trying to get ahead of the problem.

And the whole mayor thing is juvenile.

Get some perspective.

@Jason, I am guessing if it is on the treeline close to the road, the owner probably has little say in the situation anyways.

@BelieveGod, you're confusing and confounding yourself with your shrill paranoia. One second you're calling government workers parasites, next you're criticizing the contracting out of something to a private company because city workers could do it.

==================
The ABJ story reported:

"said city arborist Bill Hahn."
==================

City Arborist?

Is that another one of the $100,000 per year, Plusquellic cabinet positions?

Lots of ideas expressed here . . . . . some good . . . . . . I have learned a few things as a result of these comments.

rmk, akron

If they weren't wasting the money on stupidity like fencing the y bridge, they'd have all the money they need to take care of something that's truly important.

Mebbe we can request stimulus money not only for the recall election, but to ship Sponge and Marco out of town on a rail.

I have to agree with Jason. It would be great to be able to do something with the trees other than throw them through a chipper. Let the property owner decide whether to sell the tree for timber, or cut it up for firewood. Or, if the trees are considered City property because they're in the devil's strip, the City should sell them for lumber, and put the money back into its shade tree program. It could buy even more trees. And maybe it could turn into a self-sustaining program that employed some residents for longer than just a few weeks or months.

After all, that is one of Akron's nicer traditions; when you stand atop a hill in Akron and look around, you see a sea of trees, not a sea of rooftops. I've been to other cities where you just see house after house, rooftop after rooftop, an endless sea of concrete and asphalt with nary a tall tree in sight.

@Jason & Gain Some Reality,

While your suggestion is good, the article states that the trees are in the city right of way. The right of way usually belongs to the city, for example about 50 feet in from the center of the road constitutes the road right of way. Sidewalks to the road are considered within the "right of way" So more than likely these tres are on city property, not a homeowner's or business owner's property and therefore you wouldn't have any say as to what is done with the wood or what kind of tree is replanted.

waste of money,again.

Reality demands every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church markets the cost in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service; Of Fathers disqualified for affirmative action with white skin, Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and America’s grandchildren’s children. Fund cutting down endangered ash trees with money derived from wages or independent business profit!

rmkraus - I agree with you! I have learned so much from reading the posts on here - the good, the bad, the ugly! I can't get enough!

Dumb Ash

I applaud this move. This is exactly what we pay the city hall hero to do. Retrieve our tax dollars from the state and feds, for local projects.

This isn't exactly what we'd like to see our money retrieved for, but it's a bit more than what the city hall hero usually does for us.

As I understand this, the trees are on city property, berms, treelawns etc, so they are responsible for them. Trees on private property get nada. That's the only stoopid part about this plan.

The only downside to this, is that the city hall hero gets to run his sticky fingers through this money first. Money rubs off one way or another.

Tree services, whose businesses are located within' the city limits should be given first consideration.

Remove the trees and take a few Tree Huggers with them!

And as for the stimulus money ~ the only thing Obama and company want to stimulate is the Democrat party.

If you notice, most of the stimulus spending will not take place untill 2001 which is an election year.

All those shovel ready jobs won't come about untill the Democrats need the votes to put them in office.

@nottheusual1 - thank you for injecting some knowledge into this comment thread. No one around here seems to understand the real problems posed by these insects. Prevention is a very worthwhile idea given that the funds have already been earmarked for forestry projects. It's not like we can get this money for some other purpose at this point. http://www.agri.ohio.gov/eab/

@The Fat Painter, 2001?

Yes, recall the mayor because I saw him wearing an ugly tie the other day.

Just A Mom - perhaps the prosecutor should charge the mayor with murder because he is killing innocent trees? After all, trees and dogs who try to defend their owners are people too.

@ r m kraus:

It can be great to have discourse and intelligent debate over the internet. Fortunately, you are one of the people capable of doing just that.

@eric: The wife is a master gardener. We've been going to clinics about the problem for the past couple of years.

It's just too bad, really.

Local cities seem to be trying to get ahead of the problem, now, instead of seeing public property littered with dead/decaying trees.

Much easier to deal with it now.....

@NTU1, spousal auto erotica is not an appropriate topic here (jk...)

i called the state to report a dead tree on their property that ultimately fell and crushed our fence.they came out and threw the big limb back on their side of the fence and told me they wouldn't replace or repair the fence. AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN!ST.RT 619 IN UNIONTOWN,OHIO...

@ yesterdays post


Remove the trees and take a few Tree Huggers with them!

And as for the stimulus money ~ the only thing Obama and company want to stimulate is the Democrat party.

If you notice, most of the stimulus spending will not take place untill 2001 which is an election year.

All those shovel ready jobs won't come about untill the Democrats need the votes to put them in office.


*****************************************

2001 meant to be 2010 Sorry!

Hey I got an idea. Get some of the stimulus money (our taxes) for the schools in Ohio!

Thats funny i called about a tree thats on more than one half of city property and a small part of my driveway that bulges up my drive way and was told i had to pay for the removal myself..hmm maybe this loot will help us property owners.Of course NOT but i suspect some buddy buddy insider wood choppin' company of our local political elite is waiting with saws ready to buzz off our tax payer cash as usual BZZZZZZZZZ.

WOW. The big Obama Porkulus creating "permanent" jobs to cut down some trees.

Let the welfare and food stamp recipients cut them down. Let them earn what they are receiving from the gov't. This doesn't apply to those who are unable (physically) to work.

My yard needs fertilized, my driveway cemented and my landscaping redone. Can I get some of the stimulus money to hire people to do it? it would create jobs.

This is as bad as a fence on the Y bridge. If you wonder why Akron is the armpit of Summit County it is because of ineffective leadership. You people better elect a mayor who knows how to handle your money better than this!

Cut down healthy trees because they will "probably" get sick and die?

Im glad they didnt handle the "swine flu" "threat" this way!!!!

I need a lot of tree's trimmed. How about some stimulus cash and a pick up truck full of liberal democrats to do the job.