Local Pols Targeting Sanitation Dept's Cash Cow
Of all the irritants that come with being a homeowner in Brooklyn, gratuitous tickets from the sanitation police may top the list. The current law holds property owners liable for the smallest candy wrapper (or soda can, like the one above that greeted us on our return from the airport yesterday) that any passerby decides…
Of all the irritants that come with being a homeowner in Brooklyn, gratuitous tickets from the sanitation police may top the list. The current law holds property owners liable for the smallest candy wrapper (or soda can, like the one above that greeted us on our return from the airport yesterday) that any passerby decides to drop on the sidewalk — and even up to 18 inches off the curb. Right now, the garbage police can write tickets (for anywhere from $50 to $250) for infractions between 8 and 9 in the morning and noon and one o’clock in the afternoon. (As you may recall, our respect for these civil servants was forever tarnished by an incident we had in Williamsburg a few years ago.) Given what a cash cow this policy is for the sanitation department, there has been great resistance to change. But now there are two bills in front of the City Council that seek to take at least some of the sting out of enforcement. The first bill, from David Yassky, would require a written warning for a first offense; if a second infraction were noted within 30 days, a fine would be levied. A second bill, from Simcha Felder, would push the mid-day ticketing hour to after 5 p.m. (but not include the first-offense warning). We thought it’d be interesting to see which of these options sounded more appealing, so please take a second to answer the poll below. Additionally, if you would like to show support for the first option, Yassky’s office has set up an online petition that’s pretty painless to fill out.
Here’s a form to fill out to request a garbage bin in NYC:
http://home2.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/contact/requests_litter.shtml?onlineform_prd
It obviously sucks for the brownstone owner who gets a big fine for a soda can, but I have to agree that the enforcement is very uneven. I live on Lincoln Place in PH, and there are two buildings on my block that are _atrocious_ about cleaning up trash. On top of never ever cleaning the litter out front, they contribute by having overflowing and uncovered trash cans just sitting out on the street. Disgusting, and a real pity because all the other bldgs on the block are quite good about the cleanup. Can we PLEASE get some of those DoS guys who are harassing Clinton Hillers over on my block?
Call Spitzer and express your support for this bill!
PADAVAN’S ‘LAWN LITTER’ BILL WINS BIPARTISAN LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL
http://frankpadavan.com/press_archive_story.asp?id=17296
New York State Senator Frank Padavan (Queens) announced today that the ‘Lawn Litter’ bill has received bipartisan approval in the state Legislature; the bill (S.3420/A.6247-A) would help residents get rid of the unwanted literature unscrupulously dropped on door steps. “The bill allows residents to post a sign stating that advertisements and solicitations shall not be placed on their property. If business owners fail to comply, hefty fines will be accessed,†Padavan said.
New Yorkers should e-mail the Governor by visiting http://www.ny.gov/governor and click the Contact the Governor icon, call him at (212) 681-4580 or (518) 474-8390, or write to him at Governor Eliot Spitzer, Executive Chamber, Albany, New York 12224 and urge him to sign the ‘Lawn-Litter’ (S.3420/A.6247-A) bill into law.
they seem to pick on hoods with more minorities, since they are least likely to fight back.
i showed up to “court” one day with a portable video player ( i have a security cam), ready to show the judge that there was no litter during the hours stated on my tkt.
case dismissed
rat bastards
I have seen people of every age, race, gender and income group drop their candy wrappers, fast food containers, fruit peelings, and whatever else is in their hands, on the sidewalk, usually within sight of a wastecan.
It seems that no one was brought up right. In addition to some good ideas brought up here, maybe a tv campaign showing these things, played over and over, like any public service ad, would do some good. And also some kind of program initiative in schools, starting with the elementary kids. If you get the little kids to stop, hopefully as they get older, they won’t become littering teens and adults.
I was always taught not to do in the street what I wouldn’t do at home, when it came to disposing of trash. I was also just taught to have respect for other people’s property, which is something very few people seem to have been taught, lately. Disgusting.
This garbage policing seems uneven. I live in PH and parts of my neighborhood are filthy. During the past few weeks several branches of a tree came down during a thunderstorm and subsequently sat on the sidewalk for two weeks before being carted away.
I support educational efforts, but wonder how effective they’d be. Some NYers have no regard for cleanliness and actually seem to enjoy littering.
I like Yassky’s proposal, but once it’s in place, I’m all for strict enforcement. Yeah, it means picking up garbage that other people and advertisers have littered, and I’m all for policing them too, but it’s still too bad: you buy the house, you buy the cleanup. BTW, I have yet to be ticketed once in 10 years of ownership.
10.14am call 311 and see if they can at least log your complaint.
The basketball courts between Bergen and Dean and 6th Avenue are covered in litter. The gutters and drains on the street are filled with refuse. The hilarious thing is it is directly behind the police station. I can’t believe the cops can’t walk out behind their station and issue some tickets to people who litter. It’s a public health issue if nothing else.