Pick of the litter
To the publisher:
I applaud your efforts and thank you for providing the information regarding the ordinance that applies to rusting and abandoned signs [“Publisher’s View,” July 14].
I was born in Baton Rouge in 1971 and lived here until 1996 when I moved to London and then Chicago. I just moved back with my wife and three kids at the beginning of 2009. I am thrilled to be home. Baton Rouge has become a much more vibrant place since I left 12-plus years ago. There is a wealth of opportunity here now that was not present when I moved away.
When you combine the progressive leadership of the state with the food, weather and the fact that my entire family lives here, Louisiana is a paradise with one caveat—the unbelievable litter. The biggest difference between Louisiana and Illinois is the plethora of litter on the side of virtually every road in this area. It is mind-boggling. I don’t know whether the problem stems from complete disdain and arrogance, or the “passive” littering that falls out of the bed of the numerous pickup trucks that are so plentiful on our roads.
My older children, who grew up in Illinois, ask me all of the time about the litter. In order to teach them about “doing something” instead of just complaining, we spent a Saturday afternoon picking up trash near our house in Zachary. During a two-hour stretch, we collected about four large garbage bags of trash on a one-mile stretch of Rollins Road. Although most of the trash consisted of empty beer bottles, we also, to my horror, found a couple of sex toys that had been obviously tossed from a passing vehicle.
No more than a couple of days after our cleanup, the stretch was full of trash again. To say the least, it is quite frustrating. I know some people view litter as a harmless nuisance as opposed to the crime issues plaguing this area, but at least the average person could make a measurable difference in reducing litter.
J. Matthew Robinson, Zachary
Parochial over parish
To the editor:
I have been waiting so long for this issue to come up. Contrary to what Mr. Ball might think in his article [“Random Thoughts,” July 14], the mayor and the actual city of Baton Rouge have bent over backwards to help and fund the outlying areas of this parish—Baker, Central and Zachary.
When it comes to getting taxes passed for anything in the actual city, these areas are the first to vote it down. I don’t understand why. A lot of Baton Rougeans have moved to these areas to keep their children in public schools, so these areas are making a profit off Baton Rougeans. These areas insisted on having their own governments and school boards and have about pulled away from these forms of government in the parish. But, boy, when they need something, it’s hit-up-the-parish-council time or put a tax on the ballot for them.
I can’t even imagine why Mr. Ball would even venture to think why this division exists.
The downtown area benefits the entire parish because of government, entertainment and proximity to LSU. The last we checked, there are a lot of residents from these outlying areas employed not only in the downtown area but all across the city.
I grew up here, raised my family here and educated my child here. I want to see this city grow and progress, and it’s getting to be very tiring that these outlying areas are always in the “what about me” mode instead of the “what about us” mode.
We’ve got to work together. If the outlying areas want Baton Rougeans to vote for the needs of your area, then you need to help us out, too. It’s a two-way deal.
Cindy Denham, Baton Rouge
State of embarrassment
To the editor:
With the recent cuts to the arts, education, and health care—and the blatant and egregious act of censorship that occurred at the recent Art Melt exhibition held downtown—it is no wonder that our brightest, most talented citizens flee to more forward-thinking communities outside of this state [Daily Report, July 13].
If the economy were not in such a shambles, thanks to greed-based policies of the previous presidential administration, I would find a job elsewhere in a community in another city and state [that values intelligence, culture and progress] and flee the quagmire of hypocrisy, intolerance, backward thinking, and close-mindedness endemic to this so-called community that I used to call home.
When strangers from outside the state ask where I’m from, I’m embarrassed to indicate that I was born, reared, educated and still reside in Louisiana and, in particular, Baton Rouge.
Michael S. Johnson, Baton Rouge
