Alerted to the fact that all Trenton city buildings are almost out of toilet paper because of a fight between the mayor’s administration and the city council, PETA stepped up to the bowl.
The controversial animal-rights group offered Mayor Tony Mack a six-month supply of toilet paper with an anti-meat, anti-slaughterhouse message printed throughout each roll. The mayor accepted.
This means that for the next six months, Trenton police officers, fire fighters, senior center patrons and all other city employees will be reading “Slaughterhouses are so filthy that more than half of all meat is contaminated with fecal bacteria. Wipe cruelty from your diet. Go vegan. PETA,” every time they go to the bathroom, reports the Times of Trenton.
"If Trenton's City Council cannot reach an agreement today, I have a cheeky solution that will help offset your financial troubles and call attention to public health and cruelty to animals at the same time," PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman wrote to the mayor. "This unique bathroom reading material would help city employees consider a vegan diet, and prevent their health from going down the toilet."
"While the administration is against animal cruelty, we are neither prompting nor encouraging PETA's political message, rather we appreciate their generous gift," the mayor's spokeswoman Laura Ira told NBC10 Philadelphia.
A less controversial offer that was also accepted was from Dyson, which is donating 15 of its Airblade hand-dryers, according to the Times of Trenton.
In addition to accepting the donations, Mack announced that an emergency contract will be authorized so the city can buy $16,000 worth of toilet paper, paper towels and toilet seat covers, reports the Times.
The rolls got down to a crisis level as the City Council and Mayor Mack's administration have been fighting since September over a contract to resupply the paper products for city government in New Jersey's capital.
The council has thrice rejected a $42,000 contract for a year's supply of paper products because members raised concerns about a high unit price for hot drink cups. It is expected to reject the contract again today so that the city can rebid the contract, reports the newspaper.
