http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news..._you__150.html

Littering in Phila. could soon cost you $150

By Jeff Shields

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Watch that cigarette butt, potato chip bag, losing lottery ticket. The price for littering is about to go way up.

City Council approved an ordinance today that raises littering fines from $25 to $150 - and $300 if you challenge your fine and lose.

"This is one of the few cities in the country where people feel they have an absolute right to throw something out of their car window or toss something at their feet," City Councilman James F. Kenney said. "I hate to have to fine people to not do what should be common sense."

The bill, which Mayor Nutter is expected to sign, would also impose a $150 fine for dumping household trash in public receptacles.

Kenney and Councilman Frank DiCicco, who sponsored the legislation, have complained that business owners and apartment dwellers have taken to dumping their trash until receptacles overflow, turning trash bins into eyesores.

"What happens is that people think that this is their private trash receptacle," Kenney said. "It actually obstructs the entire purpose of putting them there in the first place."

Kenney said the city would put warning stickers on trash cans to let residents know about the new law.

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You can now request any and all Streets Department services online:
http://www.phila.gov/streets/request_service.html

Hope it works better than the $300 dog poop fine!

(FYI: I don't litter, nor does my dog.)

The city does need to do something about cleaning up all the trash. I think that removing it is really what's required more than policing it.

Also, I don't know how to change attitudes. People in my 'hood, while very nice, don't ever sweep in front of their houses. They wait for the city to do it. They don't litter, but trash does get blown around, leaves, etc. In the burbs I've lived in, people always pick up stuff around their property, even if they didn't drop it. My neighbors in the city would just leave it. I never understood that.

Those who never litter but may once and only once unconciously toss something will get fined and pay it and never do it again.

The cruds who constantly litter as if it's someone elses duty to pick up after them will not pay the fine and nothing will be done about it.

It's that simple.

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Learn the truth about Danny Faulkners
murder and his murderer here:

http://www.danielfaulkner.com/

Politicians are finally realizing the importance of making individuals internalize externalities. Thank all that's holy! (Sorry to make everything about economics and behavioral incentives.)

DFB, I hope you're wrong that nothing will be done about people who continue to litter, but I can understand the pessimism. The last thing we need is to make the law symbolically more important (i.e., by increasing the fine) and then undermining its symbolism by not enforcing it.

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"Everything that guy just said is bull$h!t! Thank you."

-- Vincent LaGuardia Gambini

Also, I wish PA would finally adopt a bottle- and can-deposit law. Yes, I know this might encourage homeless people to root through trash cans, but they do that already; and the deposit would give people the incentive to clean up at least some of the garbage that gets strewn throughout the city.

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"Everything that guy just said is bull$h!t! Thank you."

-- Vincent LaGuardia Gambini

When I see kids doing 50+ miles an hour down one way streets on dirt bikes and 4 wheelers and nothing is done about it, I'd say I'm being realistic.

Did you know that, if an uninsured motorist crashes into your parked car that all they get are tickets?

If they don't pay the ticket they have no car to be booted or towed away so nothing happens, other than you getting a damaged car.

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Learn the truth about Danny Faulkners
murder and his murderer here:

http://www.danielfaulkner.com/

I hope you didn't think I was disagreeing with you. You are certinaly being realistic, but sometimes reality requires some pessimism (or least some healthy cynicism). Time will tell with Commissioner Ramsey directs the police force to start handing out citations for littering and whether, if the citations are issued and unpaid, any consequences will follow.

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"Everything that guy just said is bull$h!t! Thank you."

-- Vincent LaGuardia Gambini

No I didn't think that. I see where you're coming from and us old Philadelphians can come of seemingly pessimistic at times.

I guess the old saying "time will tell" does apply here.

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Learn the truth about Danny Faulkners
murder and his murderer here:

http://www.danielfaulkner.com/

I don't know how I feel about setting a precedent discouraging people from contesting their tickets. Nonetheless something needs to be done about the litter. Unfortunately this town never seems to grasp that simply raising fines never solves anything, you actually have to enforce the existing laws, which becomes particularly difficult with issues like littering when officers don't obey the laws themselves.

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The idealistic are no longer concerned with influencing public opinion and creating a free world of responsible and ethical social choices, but rather imposing opinion through legislation, mandating these ethics, and outlawing choice in what the loudest sample finds offensive.

Ban the Bans. It's a slippery slope between Idealism and Fascism.

These increases in fines crack me up.

There is no one to monitor the littering to write the tickets!!

So, Johnnie Smith is walking down the street and throws his chip bag on the ground. Is a cop gonna pull over and ask him for identification and write him a ticket? What if he has no ID? What if he gives a false id? Gimme a break.

How about City Council and the Mayor put their money where their mouths are and start a city-wide anti-littering campaign? A campaign in the schools directed at kids would be an excellent start.
Maybe some commercials?? Does anyone remember years ago the commercial of an American Indian sitting looking over a vast area of land which was littered? With a tear rolling down his face? I still remember that commercial. I think it was powerful.

The city needs to drill it into people's heads not to throw stuff on the ground. Increase the fines? Yeah, ok.

Also, was Michael Nutter's Philly Clean-up a one time event?

I think city-wide cleanups like that should be on a more regular basis. Get the school kids involved.

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United we stand. Divided we fall.