INC NEWS - RE: [pac2] Herald Sun editorial (trash carts)

[Caleb Southern]

Richard,

 

Thank you very much for your post about the trash cart editorial. I agree
with you completely. And I would like to applaud Old North Durham, the City,
and many others in Durham for working proactively to find a solution to this
problem.

 

The Herald-Sun editorial board missed the point when they wrote, "Isn't it
just a way to make money without raising taxes?" 

 

To the best of my knowledge, this has never been about raising cash for the
city's General Fund. It is about improving Durham's appearance, and thereby
reducing crime and improving public safety and quality of life (per the
'broken windows' theory of crime prevention).

 

As I understand it, the fines are intended only as a last resort -- a
punitive effort to encourage people to change their behavior and remove
their trash carts from the street after pick-up. It has never been about the
money; rather it is about the behavior.

 

***

 

Instead of levying fines for repeat offenses of not moving your trash cart,
perhaps the city should require public service instead. Citizens could pick
up litter, mow weedy lots, and otherwise clean up our city. There's no end
of work to be done in this regard. And we all need to step up and do our
part. IMHO, this 'sentence' seems more commensurate to the offense. 

 

I, for one, am sick and tired of the dirty, poorly maintained appearance of
many parts of our city. It makes the statement that we don't care. And it
absolutely creates an atmosphere conducive to crime. This is a FACT. 

 

Maybe if public service were the punishment, we would have a cleaner, safer
city - and the Herald-Sun editorial board wouldn't confuse the issue. :-)

 

 

Caleb Southern

 

 

 

 

  _____  

From: pac2 at yahoogroups.com [mailto:pac2 at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Richard Mullinax
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 6:42 PM
To: inc; old north; Ginny Skalski; Reyn Bowman; City group council; pac ii
Subject: [pac2] Herald Sun editorial

 

Old North Durham took it on the chin today in the Herald Sun editorial 
as having residents who 'complained' about cans left at curb for days. 
If this issue has a negative impact on your neighborhood., please 
contact the paper to let them know. Old North Durham cannot be alone in 
this, because this issue far from started in Old North Durham.



[snipped]

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