For lack of $53,000 the State of Ohio has stopped providing trash cans at State Parks. This means, when doing maintenance- like cutting the grass, State employees have to waste more time stopping to pick up the trash that didn’t get taken home by taxpayers. Really bad choice. Here is the article from the Dayton Daily News:
Strapped by historic underfunding, $500 million in backlogged maintenance needs and even more dire budget projections, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has pulled trash cans from day-use areas at 30 of 74 state parks.
By canceling trash service beginning last year, ODNR has racked up $53,000 in savings. The program does not include campgrounds or other areas in parks where overnight accommodations or fee facilities are in place.
I have a better suggestion. As a gift to the residents of all Ohio, why doesn’t the Dayton Area of Commerce stop paying Jon Husted to “oversee its workforce development efforts.” [2] and pay for the trash collection in State parks? That would be a real nice thing to do for the citizens of the State of Ohio- and show how Dayton business has the foresight to see what the State doesn’t. Trashy parks make bad impressions.
Husted already has a full-time job as a State Senator- one that takes so much time, that he doesn’t have the ability to live in his district anymore in violation of the law [3]. Inside sources claim Husted is paid more than $53K a year for this “job.”
We could also look at the contracts that various local governments have with lobbyists, and stop paying private, “politically-connected” people to do what our legislators won’t. But, that would be asking legislators to take out the trash- and we already know they won’t, as demonstrated by the ODNR.
Here in Japan there are rarely trashcans anywhere, and not much littler either. My theory is that the presence of trashcans gives the impression that someone else eventually cleans up the mess. No trashcans, and it’s clear that your trash is your responsibility. Makes sense to me.
How about on military bases? Soldiers police up after themself & once a day the troops assigned “extra duty” perform police call . . . or in a civilians case; have local prisoner clean the parks. That being said, How about we do both. Stop paying Jon Husted and have a return of the “chain gangs”.
Interesting idea about having chain gangs pick up litter. I wonder how long it would take, if such a thing were actually implemented, for parents to start saying that prisoners shouldn’t be in the parks where their kids play.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s office have prisoners pickup trash along the roadways a few time a year in Harrison Township, this is from http://www.mcohio.org/Sheriff/Jail/programs.cfm Prisoner Work Program
The Prisoner Work Program has always been a vital part of the jail’s daily operations. Prisoners are used to perform laundry services, kitchen duty, assist with commissary, and to assist with the overall cleanliness and sanitation of the facility. In 1993, the Prisoner Work Program was expanded to include work details outside the Jail including washing patrol cars, assisting with loading dock deliveries, and picking up debris around county facilities. This program saves the county money and provides meaningful activity for the prisoners.