I have tried calling Al Lynch at Parks & Forestry (strange way to go about getting trash cans outside of parks but it is the responsible party I have been told,) the Mayor's Action Bureau, my local elected official, Gaughan, and the N.I.D., M.U.A., Incinerator Authority, etc. numerous times over the last five years. I think I was successful in all that time in getting one can set on a corner within 50' of two eating establishment, two buststops, a bar, a barbershop, a school, etc. This one can was put in after about three years of lobbying these various departments and cleaning up after the hordes of the thoughtless for those years. It is used regularly and fills up every week and is picked up now. It makes a difference.

The killer part is that since it was put in about six months ago, five of six other cans in a twenty block radius were removed one by one! Now those locations have more litter and regular dumping by the same people who have been dumping at the cans all along. These people have been reported, by the way, to no avail. They continue.

So, over the years of calling and asking for this basic service I have reminded the public servant at the other end that we live next to a city, Union City, actually denser than JC, which somehow manages to have a can with a liner (!) at nearly every corner of their city. By that I mean all four corners of an intersection on any main street, even residential. It is remarkable and there is an obvious difference in the litter present. This is usually met with something along the following lines:

(1) We can't afford that.
(2) Kids burn the cans. You don't want that.
(3) People dump their trash in them. You don't want that.

or this stumper:
(4) JC doesn't have any garbage cans to put out.

JC pays a few different entities, whether through budget or grant to provide street cleaners who sweep up along certain streets. This is great. But I think there is a healthier balance between passive receptacles and people going around chasing trash.

Then there is the enforcement of littering, dumping, and cleanliness codes. I have watched pretty carefully and see houses or businesses unswept for months or more. N.I.D. is responsible but without a direct report they seem not able to find these eyesores. It amazes me that a business can be allowed to remain filthy with litter from it's own store.

J.C.P.D. has probably not written a littering ticket for years. (I hope I am wrong, but I doubt it.)

N.I.D. officers who are authorized to write such tickets have said very proudly in community meetings that they are afraid to confront people when they see littering. One N.I.D. officer said with a smile to a large group, "I'm not sticking my neck out for that." She had no explanation when someone asked her if it was part of her duty to write such tickets.

So, after five years I have become very discouraged by the entire spirit of government in JC on this issue. I think there are people that can do something about it in JC government and I think these same people are working on many issues, against the grain, already. I just don't know how to mobilize this community in a way that will help us achieve a cleaner city ; something that many similar communities seem to be able to do and take for granted.

Basic questions:

What do you think can be done to get JC to install and monitor and maintain garbage cans throughout the city?

What do you think can be done to get JC to take seriously the issue of cleanliness in our communities?