3 ms·

How is it superflous? It improves air quality a lot, and it's free to implement. Also, it's not an exclusive policy, it can be done in addition to the things yo

How is it superflous? It improves air quality a lot, and it's free to implement. Also, it's not an exclusive policy, it can be done in addition to the things you propose.

JumpCrisscross 6y ago
> it's free to implement It's free to the city's coffers. It is a multi-million dollar capital expense to the city's businesses and residents. I support the measure. But it's far from free.
- jandrese 6y ago
  At the end of the day lawn service gets more expensive, but assuming the city can strongly enforce the law it should become more expensive more or less equally across the board so there shouldn't be any direct winner or loser from the policy. The companies would theoretically lose a few customers that could only barely afford the service in the first place, but I don't think it would cost many customers in the end.
  - JumpCrisscross 6y ago
    > lawn service gets more expensive Assuming the lawn services can pass the cost along to customers. Given the low barriers to entry, I would not make this assumption. In reality, a mix of total wage decreases (i.e. reduction in hours, benefits and/or hourly wage), supplier payment decreases, profit decreases and price increases will incorporate the change. Also, if an outfit cannot afford the capital cost of upgrading their equipment, they will fold.
    - jandrese 6y ago
      If it costs some services more to upgrade than others then they will be in trouble. If enforcement is nonuniform than it will also be an issue. But if both of these can be controlled then it's really just those consumers that could only barely afford a lawn service in the first place that get left in the cold. Enforcement shouldn't be excessively difficult. Cops can write citations for illegal equipment, and if a company routinely ignores the citations they could get in real trouble. Give the companies plenty of time (a year or two) to phase in the new equipment as well. Make sure the change is well publicized, especially in Hispanic media. If the city was really proactive they could task an intern with calling every lawn service company in the city 6 months before the law goes into effect and make sure each one has a plan to transition in time. The enforcement is key however. These sorts of regulations will be ignored 100% if they aren't enforced. Escalating fines are necessary, they have to make it more expensive to break the law than comply, or the companies that cheat will win.
- triceratops 6y ago
  It might inspire some residents to give up their lawns. Which would also be a plus. So far they've externalized the true cost of their lawn maintenance on everyone else.
- anigbrowl 6y ago
  Neither was the multi-million dollar subsidy to polluters paid by the people who didn't want or need the gasoline-powered leaf-blower service, and who have been picking up the cost of the free riders for a long time.
asdff 6y ago
It's not free to implement. If they were to enforce this law it would bear costs to the city to get those citations. I'm willing to bet this law goes unenforced like the same law does in Los Angeles.

How is it superflous? It improves air quality a lot, and it's free to implement. Also, it's not an exclusive policy, it can be done in addition to the things you propose.

JumpCrisscross 6y ago

> it's free to implement It's free to the city's coffers. It is a multi-million dollar capital expense to the city's businesses and residents. I support the measure. But it's far from free.

jandrese 6y ago
At the end of the day lawn service gets more expensive, but assuming the city can strongly enforce the law it should become more expensive more or less equally across the board so there shouldn't be any direct winner or loser from the policy. The companies would theoretically lose a few customers that could only barely afford the service in the first place, but I don't think it would cost many customers in the end.
- JumpCrisscross 6y ago
  > lawn service gets more expensive Assuming the lawn services can pass the cost along to customers. Given the low barriers to entry, I would not make this assumption. In reality, a mix of total wage decreases (i.e. reduction in hours, benefits and/or hourly wage), supplier payment decreases, profit decreases and price increases will incorporate the change. Also, if an outfit cannot afford the capital cost of upgrading their equipment, they will fold.
  - jandrese 6y ago
    If it costs some services more to upgrade than others then they will be in trouble. If enforcement is nonuniform than it will also be an issue. But if both of these can be controlled then it's really just those consumers that could only barely afford a lawn service in the first place that get left in the cold. Enforcement shouldn't be excessively difficult. Cops can write citations for illegal equipment, and if a company routinely ignores the citations they could get in real trouble. Give the companies plenty of time (a year or two) to phase in the new equipment as well. Make sure the change is well publicized, especially in Hispanic media. If the city was really proactive they could task an intern with calling every lawn service company in the city 6 months before the law goes into effect and make sure each one has a plan to transition in time. The enforcement is key however. These sorts of regulations will be ignored 100% if they aren't enforced. Escalating fines are necessary, they have to make it more expensive to break the law than comply, or the companies that cheat will win.
triceratops 6y ago
It might inspire some residents to give up their lawns. Which would also be a plus. So far they've externalized the true cost of their lawn maintenance on everyone else.
anigbrowl 6y ago
Neither was the multi-million dollar subsidy to polluters paid by the people who didn't want or need the gasoline-powered leaf-blower service, and who have been picking up the cost of the free riders for a long time.

asdff 6y ago

It's not free to implement. If they were to enforce this law it would bear costs to the city to get those citations. I'm willing to bet this law goes unenforced like the same law does in Los Angeles.