So they're getting rid of the guys in blue?! I will be extremely disappointed if this happens. My husband and I were just noting yesterday that the neighborhood has seen less trash in recent months, a lot in thanks to the District's efforts to send clean up crews out to H St. When we moved in in '07 garbage was everywhere. It was repulsive. A clean neighborhood is important on many levels. I sincerely hope they reconsider this.
Why waste tax dollars on a group of people responsible for picking up other people's litter? A lot of the deadbeats on my block litter all over the street. I never see anybody picking up their litter other than myself. How about going after the root of the problem and start enforcing litter laws instead? Fine them $150 each time they're caught littering. I'm sure revenue from fines would surpass whatever budget there was for the litter program. And maybe, just maybe..the litterers would learn a lesson when they're slapped with a fine.
This is very disappointing news. I feel that the "guys in blue" did a tremedous job. Give it one week and you will see garbage all over the place. The days of having to wade through trash in the mornings will soon be back. I am still amazed by how many people throw trash on the ground - expecting someone else to clean up after them. Where does this mentalitiy come from?
It comes from a combination of things but most likely due to the fact that they've never owned property. I've never met a home owner who littered in his front yard or on his street.
I have to admit I never understood what the big deal was about littering until I bought my house 5 years ago.
I was standing in my yard the other day and someone pulled up to the stop sign, rolled down their window and threw out a giant bag of McDonald's trash. Not the first time I've seen it happen. My favorite of these incidents was when a guy pulled over directly in front of my house (I was standing outside, but that didn't deter him), opened the door and dumped out several beer cans he'd clearly been drinking while driving and a few broken CDs and then drove off. Awesome.
I live on a corner lot, and as such deal with and pick up a TON more trash than most. The heavy majority of the trash is candy wrappers, Arizona tea cans, beer/liquor containers, fast food/snack packaging and dryer sheets from the people who smoke weed in their cars and want to cover up the smell. This is definitely trash of a specific demographic. I pick up all of this trash every week. The same trash the "guys in blue" pick up out on H St, where it's worse.
"Where does this mentality come from?" It's learned. It's taught by example, or lack of example perhaps. So I do my part to clean up the streets in the hope that maybe the kids who live on my block see me doing it and start to understand that having a clean neighborhood is important. That's it's a measure of pride, courtesy and respect for your community. It's this reason (example) that makes me value the guys in blue. Trash begets trash, and its the responsibility of the neighbors to keep their neighborhood clean. On H St, where there are few to no residents, there is no one to do this other than the city.
Perhaps it's a revolutionary concept, but H Street Main Street is going to have to get the merchants who have a vested interest in a decent street to clean up their own sidewalks. Just in front of their own places. Then they can go after the owners of vacant properties who are just sitting on their "investments" waiting to get rich. That would maximize the time of the few inspectors who would be left under the Mayor's scaled-back budget. Hand them a list of those who don't keep their properties clean - with photos of the mess. We have more than enough locals with camera phones to nail them. When these "slumlords" receive fines often enough, they'll contribute to cleaning crews or do it themselves.
When the government does what it wants and not what we know we need, then we have to take action. Fenty would probably enjoy the revenue from the fines.
It will be interesting to see how this affects the amount of trash on the sidewalks and curbs. On a slightly different topic, what is up with the people parking their cars on the sidewalk! I've noticed this from time to time on the sidewalk next to Horace and Dickies, the grass at the church on 13th and H and next to the liquor store on 11th. it seems to be getting more frequent and I can't understand how these cars aren't immediately ticketed and/or towed. Has anyone else noticed this
How about going after the root of the problem and start enforcing litter laws instead? Fine them $150 each time they're caught littering.
Have you not figured out that our police department is not capable of enforcing the law with the rigidity necessary to "recondition" those responsible for the litter?
The receding waters from the wave of gentrification will take with them many residents responsible for the garbage. In the interim you will have to increase your threshold of tolerance and pick up the garbage on your own.
Anon 11:38: Not being a homeowner isn't an excuse to trash your neighborhood. The government is picking a major tab on the section 8 housing and the least one can do is keep the neighborhood clean. Being poor is no excuse for being unclean.
{This is very disappointing news. I feel that the "guys in blue" did a tremedous job. Give it one week and you will see garbage all over the place. The days of having to wade through trash in the mornings will soon be back. I am still amazed by how many people throw trash on the ground - expecting someone else to clean up after them. Where does this mentalitiy come from?}
It comes from the fact that many people believe that the city should do everything. Don't get me wrong, I am glad the city is stepping in because some residents won't. But in the end, it seems like there are a lot of people who are waiting for street sweepers or guys in blue to come by and pick up the garabge in front of their own homes.(I agree H street is not residential but cleanup on sidewalks infront of their business should fall to the business owner much like it is for a homeowner.)
Add this to the fact that some residents and visitors who just don't care what their neighborhood looks like and you get a lot of trash.
Just got to say this has to really suck for the workers out there working for the BID. They did a really great job during the snow storm of shoveling and since the BID started the litter situation at 10th & H has improved. I hope there's a way to revisit this decision.
Unfortunately, I bought a house that is one burger away from the nearest McDonalds. There is a trash can on the corner, but unfortunately the average eater isn't done so quickly. If McD's want to do marketing research, they can come check out my front sidewalk.
Does anyone find it ironic (disturbing) that the DC government is imposing new taxes premised upon a movement to clean up the Anacostia River while at the same time removing a program that would ostensibly keep trash out of the Anacostia? Is there one reasonable person at City Hall? God help this city.
Does anyone find it ironic that the DC government is imposing new taxes premised upon a movement to clean up the Anacostia River while at the same time removing a program that would ostensibly keep trash out of the Anacostia? Is there one reasonable person at City Hall? God help this city.
I'm not sure that word "ironic" means what you think it does. It could be my notoriously atrophied sense of irony, but how is it ironic to impose a bag fee that reduces one source of pollution, and raises money, at a time when budgets are so tight we must cut needed services?
Child sitting next to mother on the steps of the sports shop at H-Street Connection eating some McNuggets. Child finishes her dipping sauce and throws it overhand through crowd on the rush-hour packed sidewalk. Mother chides the child: "Say 'scuse me!" Not, "Hey, don't throw disgusting ranch-dip dripping trash into a crowd onto the sidewalk." No-no, that's perfectly acceptable, as long as you holler out to the folks passing the command to excuse your behavior.
I'd rather see them trim the crossing guard budget. Sure we need a few here and there in places of high traffic or less-aware children, but I'm willing to bet half of them are completely useless
A) What would imposing a litter fine on people who dont have money to pay the fine accomplish?
So they're exempt from the law just because they don't have money? Hmm..what's to stop them from flying down H st at 90 mph? I guess it's okay..they wouldn't have any money to pay for the speeding ticket. What an ignorant statement.
I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, but there seems to be a lack of city trash cans. I know this would require more work for people to come and collect this trash, but a cheaper option than the workers in blue (who I think really have helped in cleaning up the trash and also provided jobs for people who may have a hard time finding one in this economy).
Perhaps the litterbugs would be more inclined to use a trash recepticle should one be closer by? Though, I'm not convinced.
Oh, and just to jump on this complaint ride. . . I'm sick and tired of finding soda bottles in my front yard and McDonald's bags in my recycling container! Grrrr
I have to disagree with you, Benny-- there's a trash can on every corner. I see people throw trash on the ground beside an empty trash can. It's baffling. I mean, who still litters??? It's so 80s.
Litter is a real issue here and it'd be a shame if Council doesn't fix this. The McDonalds is the worst. Sadly, lots of folks don't use trash cans even when they are only 10 ft away.
Anon 5:48 - sure, let's bring race, economic background, and education into the discussion. I'm a white girl from a middle class family of teachers with a college degree, preparing for a masters in public health. I'm also a vegetarian (technically pescatarian, but whatever) who doesn't own a TV by choice, but goddamn if a McDonald's fish sandwich with some fries and a Diet Coke isn't the best indulgence out there.
So, let's try not to imply generalizations about those that eat at McD's.
This middle-aged middle-class white guy loves nothing more than a McGriddle sandwich in the morning.
I remember going to larger Scottish cities years ago and seeing all the locals eating fish and chips on the street, then literally just dropping the newspapers they were wrapped in on the ground.
But every night a streetsweeper came and cleaned the streets and sidewalks.
But it was definitely a social expectation - that just dumping your stuff on the ground was fine.
And if I recall correctly the black population of those cities was tiny.
It's not a racial thing. It's a social expectation thing.
Of course, here we don't have nightly street and sidewalk cleanings. So I have often wondered how those that litter in DC think their trash is picked up.
some homeowners are poor too and not all renters are poor, if the theory is that renters litter more. so i don't know how much wealth has to do with it. the theory goes, i think, that if you own in your neighborhood, you have a perceived vested interest in it.
It's great to see that people's anger is being vented at those that litter, and not making it a matter of race! Please remember that there are a ton of professional African-Americans who have purchased in the area and are part of this whole gentrification movement. We really need to hold DC Gov't more accountable for around the clock street cleaning. Not only on H stret, but throughout our neighborhoods as well. Don't you think they could demand these services from people who must do community service or welfare to work programs?
How much do the Men in Blue cost a month? The Post said the new bag tax raised over $100,000 in the month of Jan. alone. Can some of these tax revenues go toward funding the Men in Blue? This seems like it will be a blow to the huge investment the city is making in H St.
anonymous 2:53, that money is supposed to be dedicated to cleaning up the Anacostia River.
I wish the garbage collectors would be more careful in their pickups. Everyone's garbage can in the alley behind us ends up in our yard because we have a little triangle of land it's easy to use. It's amazing how much litter escapes garbage bags and ends up in our yard.
Then we have idiot neighbors who will dump, say, a microwave and expect the magic city fairies to cart it away instead of calling bulk pickup. But that's another story.
DC has so much money sitting on the table. All we have to do is cut our cigarette taxes lower than the surrounding jurisdictions and we'd have millions more in tobacco taxes as everyone would buy their cigarettes in DC
Anon 10:33 is on to something. The city hoped to raise $45MM from the increase in cigarette taxes but they're projected to take in only $30MM, which will put the city cigarette tax revenue BELOW what it was before they raised the tax. People are going to MD and VA where they can get them cheaper, so the city loses all the tax revenue. The small merchants lose the business that they would have gotten from other purchases that cigarette buyers made while they were in the store, much of which is subject to sales tax. As long as people go to MD and VA, they might as well gas the car where the prices are cheaper. We're bleeding potential revenue.
46 comments:
That's disappointing. Trinidad needs all the help it can get!
So they're getting rid of the guys in blue?! I will be extremely disappointed if this happens. My husband and I were just noting yesterday that the neighborhood has seen less trash in recent months, a lot in thanks to the District's efforts to send clean up crews out to H St. When we moved in in '07 garbage was everywhere. It was repulsive. A clean neighborhood is important on many levels. I sincerely hope they reconsider this.
Anon 10:57,
H Street isn't actually in Trinidad.
Why waste tax dollars on a group of people responsible for picking up other people's litter? A lot of the deadbeats on my block litter all over the street. I never see anybody picking up their litter other than myself.
How about going after the root of the problem and start enforcing litter laws instead? Fine them $150 each time they're caught littering. I'm sure revenue from fines would surpass whatever budget there was for the litter program. And maybe, just maybe..the litterers would learn a lesson when they're slapped with a fine.
This is very disappointing news. I feel that the "guys in blue" did a tremedous job. Give it one week and you will see garbage all over the place. The days of having to wade through trash in the mornings will soon be back. I am still amazed by how many people throw trash on the ground - expecting someone else to clean up after them. Where does this mentalitiy come from?
It comes from a combination of things but most likely due to the fact that they've never owned property. I've never met a home owner who littered in his front yard or on his street.
I have to admit I never understood what the big deal was about littering until I bought my house 5 years ago.
I was standing in my yard the other day and someone pulled up to the stop sign, rolled down their window and threw out a giant bag of McDonald's trash. Not the first time I've seen it happen. My favorite of these incidents was when a guy pulled over directly in front of my house (I was standing outside, but that didn't deter him), opened the door and dumped out several beer cans he'd clearly been drinking while driving and a few broken CDs and then drove off. Awesome.
I live on a corner lot, and as such deal with and pick up a TON more trash than most. The heavy majority of the trash is candy wrappers, Arizona tea cans, beer/liquor containers, fast food/snack packaging and dryer sheets from the people who smoke weed in their cars and want to cover up the smell. This is definitely trash of a specific demographic. I pick up all of this trash every week. The same trash the "guys in blue" pick up out on H St, where it's worse.
"Where does this mentality come from?" It's learned. It's taught by example, or lack of example perhaps. So I do my part to clean up the streets in the hope that maybe the kids who live on my block see me doing it and start to understand that having a clean neighborhood is important. That's it's a measure of pride, courtesy and respect for your community. It's this reason (example) that makes me value the guys in blue. Trash begets trash, and its the responsibility of the neighbors to keep their neighborhood clean. On H St, where there are few to no residents, there is no one to do this other than the city.
The Capitol Hill BID wastes a lot of money on very fancy
full color brochures for things like their annual report and the like.
Ditto for their unnecessary holiday party.
If they would ditch these expenses they'd have a lot more for things like litter.
Perhaps it's a revolutionary concept, but H Street Main Street is going to have to get the merchants who have a vested interest in a decent street to clean up their own sidewalks. Just in front of their own places.
Then they can go after the owners of vacant properties who are just sitting on their "investments" waiting to get rich. That would maximize the time of the few inspectors who would be left under the Mayor's scaled-back budget. Hand them a list of those who don't keep their properties clean - with photos of the mess. We have more than enough locals with camera phones to nail them.
When these "slumlords" receive fines often enough, they'll contribute to cleaning crews or do it themselves.
When the government does what it wants and not what we know we need, then we have to take action. Fenty would probably enjoy the revenue from the fines.
It will be interesting to see how this affects the amount of trash on the sidewalks and curbs. On a slightly different topic, what is up with the people parking their cars on the sidewalk! I've noticed this from time to time on the sidewalk next to Horace and Dickies, the grass at the church on 13th and H and next to the liquor store on 11th. it seems to be getting more frequent and I can't understand how these cars aren't immediately ticketed and/or towed. Has anyone else noticed this
...can't understand how these cars aren't immediately ticketed and/or towed...
...welcome to the District of Columbia!
How about going after the root of the problem and start enforcing litter laws instead? Fine them $150 each time they're caught littering.
Have you not figured out that our police department is not capable of enforcing the law with the rigidity necessary to "recondition" those responsible for the litter?
The receding waters from the wave of gentrification will take with them many residents responsible for the garbage. In the interim you will have to increase your threshold of tolerance and pick up the garbage on your own.
Anon 11:38: Not being a homeowner isn't an excuse to trash your neighborhood. The government is picking a major tab on the section 8 housing and the least one can do is keep the neighborhood clean. Being poor is no excuse for being unclean.
{This is very disappointing news. I feel that the "guys in blue" did a tremedous job. Give it one week and you will see garbage all over the place. The days of having to wade through trash in the mornings will soon be back. I am still amazed by how many people throw trash on the ground - expecting someone else to clean up after them. Where does this mentalitiy come from?}
It comes from the fact that many people believe that the city should do everything. Don't get me wrong, I am glad the city is stepping in because some residents won't. But in the end, it seems like there are a lot of people who are waiting for street sweepers or guys in blue to come by and pick up the garabge in front of their own homes.(I agree H street is not residential but cleanup on sidewalks infront of their business should fall to the business owner much like it is for a homeowner.)
Add this to the fact that some residents and visitors who just don't care what their neighborhood looks like and you get a lot of trash.
D
Just got to say this has to really suck for the workers out there working for the BID. They did a really great job during the snow storm of shoveling and since the BID started the litter situation at 10th & H has improved. I hope there's a way to revisit this decision.
Unfortunately, I bought a house that is one burger away from the nearest McDonalds. There is a trash can on the corner, but unfortunately the average eater isn't done so quickly. If McD's want to do marketing research, they can come check out my front sidewalk.
Does anyone find it ironic (disturbing) that the DC government is imposing new taxes premised upon a movement to clean up the Anacostia River while at the same time removing a program that would ostensibly keep trash out of the Anacostia? Is there one reasonable person at City Hall? God help this city.
Does anyone find it ironic that the DC government is imposing new taxes premised upon a movement to clean up the Anacostia River while at the same time removing a program that would ostensibly keep trash out of the Anacostia? Is there one reasonable person at City Hall? God help this city.
I'm not sure that word "ironic" means what you think it does. It could be my notoriously atrophied sense of irony, but how is it ironic to impose a bag fee that reduces one source of pollution, and raises money, at a time when budgets are so tight we must cut needed services?
It's like rain on your wedding day.
A) What would imposing a litter fine on people who dont have money to pay the fine accomplish?
B) Re: Anacostia Bag Tax vs Cleaneruppers. One makes money, one costs money
Child sitting next to mother on the steps of the sports shop at H-Street Connection eating some McNuggets. Child finishes her dipping sauce and throws it overhand through crowd on the rush-hour packed sidewalk. Mother chides the child: "Say 'scuse me!" Not, "Hey, don't throw disgusting ranch-dip dripping trash into a crowd onto the sidewalk." No-no, that's perfectly acceptable, as long as you holler out to the folks passing the command to excuse your behavior.
Classic.
I'd rather see them trim the crossing guard budget. Sure we need a few here and there in places of high traffic or less-aware children, but I'm willing to bet half of them are completely useless
Demands for cleaner and safer streets - you evil gentrifiers!
A) What would imposing a litter fine on people who dont have money to pay the fine accomplish?
So they're exempt from the law just because they don't have money? Hmm..what's to stop them from flying down H st at 90 mph? I guess it's okay..they wouldn't have any money to pay for the speeding ticket. What an ignorant statement.
I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, but there seems to be a lack of city trash cans. I know this would require more work for people to come and collect this trash, but a cheaper option than the workers in blue (who I think really have helped in cleaning up the trash and also provided jobs for people who may have a hard time finding one in this economy).
Perhaps the litterbugs would be more inclined to use a trash recepticle should one be closer by? Though, I'm not convinced.
Oh, and just to jump on this complaint ride. . . I'm sick and tired of finding soda bottles in my front yard and McDonald's bags in my recycling container! Grrrr
I have to disagree with you, Benny-- there's a trash can on every corner. I see people throw trash on the ground beside an empty trash can. It's baffling. I mean, who still litters??? It's so 80s.
Litter is a real issue here and it'd be a shame if Council doesn't fix this. The McDonalds is the worst. Sadly, lots of folks don't use trash cans even when they are only 10 ft away.
Perhaps we should bring race, economic background, and education into the discussion.
I mean, why not, we are discussing those that eat at McDonalds???
Anon 5:48 - sure, let's bring race, economic background, and education into the discussion. I'm a white girl from a middle class family of teachers with a college degree, preparing for a masters in public health. I'm also a vegetarian (technically pescatarian, but whatever) who doesn't own a TV by choice, but goddamn if a McDonald's fish sandwich with some fries and a Diet Coke isn't the best indulgence out there.
So, let's try not to imply generalizations about those that eat at McD's.
This middle-aged middle-class white guy loves nothing more than a McGriddle sandwich in the morning.
I remember going to larger Scottish cities years ago and seeing all the locals eating fish and chips on the street, then literally just dropping the newspapers they were wrapped in on the ground.
But every night a streetsweeper came and cleaned the streets and sidewalks.
But it was definitely a social expectation - that just dumping your stuff on the ground was fine.
And if I recall correctly the black population of those cities was tiny.
It's not a racial thing. It's a social expectation thing.
Of course, here we don't have nightly street and sidewalk cleanings. So I have often wondered how those that litter in DC think their trash is picked up.
I'm telling you..start fining these knuckleheads. If that doesn't work then take away the amount in fine(s) from their welfare checks.
Ali - McDonalds Fish sandwich and fries?!?! Please dont let that banging body go to waste......
Anon 8:20 - That's what Fitness First is for! ;)
Time to move. Welcome to the ghetto again.
http://www.365black.com/
Time to stop going to McRacists.
litterbug,
what do you propose if someone doesnt pay the fine? jail? i could go for some caning (sp?), but that might not be allowed in this country.
@ gompi
re: "Being poor is no excuse for being unclean."
some homeowners are poor too and not all renters are poor, if the theory is that renters litter more. so i don't know how much wealth has to do with it. the theory goes, i think, that if you own in your neighborhood, you have a perceived vested interest in it.
If they can't pay the fine after 60 days then it doubles. If they can't pay that then community service (picking up litter) would be fine by me.
It's great to see that people's anger is being vented at those that litter, and not making it a matter of race! Please remember that there are a ton of professional African-Americans who have purchased in the area and are part of this whole gentrification movement. We really need to hold DC Gov't more accountable for around the clock street cleaning. Not only on H stret, but throughout our neighborhoods as well. Don't you think they could demand these services from people who must do community service or welfare to work programs?
ap·a·thy (āp'ə-thē)
n.
Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference.
How much do the Men in Blue cost a month? The Post said the new bag tax raised over $100,000 in the month of Jan. alone. Can some of these tax revenues go toward funding the Men in Blue? This seems like it will be a blow to the huge investment the city is making in H St.
anonymous 2:53, that money is supposed to be dedicated to cleaning up the Anacostia River.
I wish the garbage collectors would be more careful in their pickups. Everyone's garbage can in the alley behind us ends up in our yard because we have a little triangle of land it's easy to use. It's amazing how much litter escapes garbage bags and ends up in our yard.
Then we have idiot neighbors who will dump, say, a microwave and expect the magic city fairies to cart it away instead of calling bulk pickup. But that's another story.
DC has so much money sitting on the table. All we have to do is cut our cigarette taxes lower than the surrounding jurisdictions and we'd have millions more in tobacco taxes as everyone would buy their cigarettes in DC
Anon 10:33 is on to something.
The city hoped to raise $45MM from the increase in cigarette taxes but they're projected to take in only $30MM, which will put the city cigarette tax revenue BELOW what it was before they raised the tax.
People are going to MD and VA where they can get them cheaper, so the city loses all the tax revenue. The small merchants lose the business that they would have gotten from other purchases that cigarette buyers made while they were in the store, much of which is subject to sales tax.
As long as people go to MD and VA, they might as well gas the car where the prices are cheaper.
We're bleeding potential revenue.
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