Ray Patterson was elected Springfield's sanitation commissioner 16 years in a row.
History
He had a good track record, until Homer ran against him, making promises that he could not deliver on. After Homer was fired for encouraging other cities to dump their garbage in the abandoned mine, Patterson got his job back, but he refused to help clean up the town.
Compared to many of Springfield's residents, Ray Patterson is considered to be one of the more 'sane' characters; hard working and committed to his job. Although he returns the apology letter Marge wrote when Homer comes to reclaim it, he still tries to be civil with Homer, but Homer himself starts stirring up trouble. Although he reminds Homer that being elected 16 years in a row would mean he had been good at his job, and dismisses Homer's criticism as "nonsensical ravings of a loudmouthed malcontent".
When Homer ran against him for his position, he was frustrated by Homer and the town's ignorance towards him. He turned up late for a debate with Homer, claiming that his brakes had been tampered with. The town became shocked, only to start laughing again when Homer joked about his lateness. Annoyed with this attitude, he told the town that they could either keep the status quo and vote for him, or believe Homer's crazy promises and vote for "this sleazy lunatic". The latter happened, and he conceded to the result, but firmly reminded Homer that the people will not tolerate incompetence and that he would see Homer crash and burn.
Prophetically, a disaster occurred when Homer wasted the department's annual budget in a month, and to pay off, sold to other cities the rights to dump their garbage in an abandoned mine outside Springfield. After it resulted in the garbage erupting all over town, Homer was sacked and Patterson reinstated, but as a final act of revenge, he refused reinstatement and left the city wallowing in the mess they created themselves.[1]
He was seen in a park alongside Arthur Crandall, Dr. Steve and various others when the EPA's dome was lowered on Springfield.[2]
Non-canon
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The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened or existed.
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The Simpsons: Tapped Out
- This section is transcluded from The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Titans of Trash. To edit it, please edit the transcluded page.
| Permanent Tasks
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| Task
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Time
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Reward
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Requires
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Quest with the task
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Animated?
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| Go Skating
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10m
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 17,  5
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Simpsons' Skating Rink
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| Buy Bird Feed
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60m
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70, 17
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Springfield Pet Shop or
Kwik-E-Mart or
Kwik-E-Mart Franchise
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| Wonder How It All Went Wrong
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4h
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175, 45
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Moe's Tavern
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| Overpay for Sex on the Beach
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4h
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260, 70
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Smooches on the Beach
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| Stay at the Swelldorado
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4h
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260, 70
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Swelldorado
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| Try to Win at Blackjack
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4h
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175, 45
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$ Casino
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Big $
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| Drink and Babysit
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4h
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175, 45
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The Boiled Potato
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Pub Daycare
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| Attend Parenting Seminars
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4h
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260, 70
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Universal Panacea
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| Shop for Cider
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4h
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260, 70
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Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill
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| Obtain Anxiety Medication
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6h
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225, 55
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Springfield Medical Center
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| Explain Why He's Better than Homer
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8h
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275, 70
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| Dance the Señor Burns
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8h
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420, 105
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Chez Guevara
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Señor Burns
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| Work as Deputy Head of Sanitation
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12h
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420, 100
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Town Hall
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| Try to take Time Off
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24h
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600, 150
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Lawn Chair
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| Animated Tasks
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Explain Why He's Better than Homer
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Trivia
- In many ways, Ray Patterson is similar to Frank Grimes, due to his commitment to his job, and hatred towards Homer.
- Steve Martin was in fact planned to voice Grimes.
Appearances
References
30
Episode – "Trash of the Titans" 
– The Simpsons Movie 
Book – Simpsons World The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1-20 
Video game – The Simpsons: Tapped Out 
