I want you to think about things you could buy for $250? A tank of gas, groceries for a week and a new pair of shoes, or maybe you just need help paying rent. All you have to do for an extra $250 in your pocket is, essentially, tattle-tale on someone for illegal dumping.
After reading this you’ll think twice about just watching a broke down pick-up truck leave half a slightly-used bedroom behind Safeway near the dumpster. You might even start showing similar characteristics to Inspector Gadget. Your pen will fly from your pocket and you’ll improvise by using a receipt as your paper source.
You’ll hide your face and nonchalantly write down a quick description and his license plate number. You’ll turn that person in to the Illegal Dumping Response Team with total disregard of that poor, old sap. And this is why…
Sacramento County has put many efforts into multi-department teams, new clean-up techniques, barriers to block abused alleys, placed signs near frequent dump zones, and, bump-bada-baaaaa, created a reward program!
The reward system is how YOU can score. All you have to do is catch someone dumping a broken bed or some old tires in an alley. Make sure to get information such as the person’s licenses plate and make and model of the vehicle. A description of the person, time, date and location of the dump would also be very helpful. You want to be as helpful as possible because if your information leads to an arrest or citation you will receive $250.
To report someone who is illegally dumping call the community Assistance Resource Center hotline at:
• Local: 916-875-5656
• Toll free: 888-358-8499
• TDD: 916-875-7105
1,500 tons trash is cleaned-up by the county every year and cost county tax payers over $100,000. There have already been 14 lucky people to receive free money from the County. I guess that means there have been 14 un-lucky people that have had to pay the county, but that’s another article. Illegal dumping has decreased because of the county’s efforts and people calling in illegal dumpers.
The County has also created a program for people who have large items they want to throw. If someone wants something large removed from their home they can call the county’s waste management department and make an appointment to have a bulky-item trash picked up.
Making an appointment would be better then driving around and dumping the crap somewhere; you can dump it in front of your house and have the garbage-man come pick it up. It saves everyone a lot of time and money. The County won’t have to pick up your trash in a cramped alley, and you don’t have to pay a steep fine for leaving all your trash around the city.
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2 comments:
That's cool. Can apartment tenants call the County for trash pick-up too? I sort of doubt my complex manager would be too keen on that...
Interesting way to start the column, though I wonder what kind of car the writer drives that it takes $250 to fill the tank with gas?
That SUV must be a LOT bigger than my Trooper.
The ethics of this could use a little exploring, too...
What do poor folks do when they need to get rid of something (like an old couch).
And if they illegally do throw that couch in the alley - and someone calls the garbage police, how big is the fine? Does it cover the $250 reward? And if it is a lot more, what does the county do with the difference?
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