County Citizens Could Do More

As of Tuesday, January 31, 2012

I agree with Peter Doubleday’s letter, “Keeping S.P. Clean” (Jan. 25).

My wife and I walk in and around the Niagara area for exercise and to pick up aluminum cans. We used to pick up the trash too, but it got to be too much for us. We’ve noticed the number of alcohol cans and bottles has grown five-fold, and people seem to think nothing of throwing out their fast food bags.

I know the police can’t catch everyone, but as citizens of this county, we could do more ourselves.

If y’all want to keep the golfers and horse people comming, bend over and do it for Moore.

Duane Louy

Southern Pines

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JER 1 year, 3 months ago

While I certainly applaud anyone who takes the time to bend over and pick up litter (I do it daily), picking up litter is treating the symptom. We need to find a cure. High deposits on drink containers is one proactive thing to do. Enforcing litter laws with meaningful fines is another. When I see someone litter, I point it out to them and request they pick it up and dispose of it properly. If they don't then I do it for them in their presence. We are a money driven society. If we made litter control a source of income, we could eventually end the problem. Why not turn all of us into litter vigilantes. Increase fines to the point where, if we assist in bringing a litterer to justice, we get a monetary reward paid out of the fine collected.($500.00 littering fine, court gets $250.00, you get $250.00). Arm ourselves with video cameras and record the offence for presentation in a "Litter Court". This would be a great source of spending money for retired folks and, I'll bet, littering would soon slow down and eventually come to a halt. Let's quit treating littering as a minor inconvenience and do something about it. It is within our ability to do this. And I'll be looking for smokers who discard their butts on the ground and think that it's not littering.

Courseaire 1 year, 3 months ago

JER - Some of those who shall remain nameless can just pull out their guns & shoot the offenders. I might be in favor of the smokers as we'd be doing a service to them, the insurer & taxpayer.

teufelhunden 1 year, 3 months ago

There's trash everywhere around here...just read some of your employee's comments.

JER 1 year, 3 months ago

Courseaire: I'm in favor of everybody pitching in on this problem so the "gun lobby" is more than welcome to contribute in any way they can...just so long as they pick up their shell casings when they are done.

Thatcher 1 year, 3 months ago

Great point JER! And Courseaire, I blow sweet tea out of my nose laughing everytime I read your posts! Too funny!

fugitiveguy 1 year, 3 months ago

Criminal offenders who get sentenced to community service could be put to good use here. Give them stretches of highway to be responsible for.

Jibbs 1 year, 3 months ago

Anyone receiving welfare or unemployment longer than two months should be required to dedicate at least a few hours a week to cleaning up the roads. And those that receive welfare in perpetuity should be required to work the roads daily. I'm not cuttin' anyone down, but if you can take unearned public money, then you are not above cleaning public roads, parks, or bathrooms.

JER 1 year, 3 months ago

fugitiveguy: That was a great idea....100 years ago when they first started having prison road gangs picking up along the highways. But, as I said earlier, that treats the problem, it doesn't cure it.

JER 1 year, 3 months ago

Jibbs: While I agree with your basic premise, I take exception to your assumption that welfare and unemployment are the same thing. People who loose their jobs are paid Unemployment Insurance, which they paid into while they were working. It is not a government handout. In order to collect unemployment insurance, the unemployed person must show they are looking for work on a weekly basis in order to qualify for receiving their unemployment insurance check. It is not welfare and it has a specific time limit associated with it. Folks collecting welfare, I agree, should perform whatever jobs or duties needed by the community as a way of "earning their keep". But, getting back to the litter problem, having people pick it up doesn't stop litter from happening. We need to address that problem. I may be wrong, but I think one of the reasons for the problem is pride: People who have no pride in themselves, in their home, in their community and in their country are many of the ones who litter. I also think that trucks contribute a great deal of litter to our roadsides. I have followed garbage trucks that had trash flying out of them. I have seen pickup trucks with litter blowing out of the beds. Really, pickup trucks are a major contributor to litter because their owners just throw stuff in the bed, kind of like it was a garbage can, then drive around until it's gone.I guess they figure it's redneck recycling. This is an area that the general public could easily control with a video camera, a high dollar fine and the "Litter Court" I proposed earlier.

Yukonjohn 1 year, 3 months ago

Hey Louy, John in Fairbanks. Good letter!! Hope all is going well there. Thinking of all them old times in OKC!! I know you are a good citizen of Moore County, and thank you for your service to our Great Nation!! It is so good that we have the right to enjoy our neighborhoods because of the troops on the line for us. God Bless our troops and our beautiful Nation!!! Thank you for keeping it looking so pretty Louy. Come up and visit some time!!