| 08/30/2007 |
| White signs needed in fight against litter |
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Here's a bit of trivia that isn't trivial. If you see a yellow sign directing you to do something, it's a warning, but if you see a white sign, it means you could be fined for not doing it. Susan Gwiasda, public relations officer for the city of Ames, points this out in regard to a sign recently posted at a particularly busy intersection. It says drivers must yield to pedestrians. And it's white. Jennifer Garrett, coordinator of leadership and service at the Student Activities Center at Iowa State University, has more signs in mind. Garrett is working to launch Keep Iowa State Beautiful, an anti-littering campaign. Partnerships with Stash the Trash and other campus efforts are in the works. But in the meantime, she wonders whether there could be more signs posted around the city reminding people of the law. These signs would be white. It is illegal to litter in Ames and in Iowa. City code makes this a misdemeanor, and depending on which section of the code you're charged under, a $50 or $100 fine. Under Iowa law, misdemeanor littering along the highways will cost you $35 plus court costs. For state lands, the maximum penalty is a $500 fine and you may have to clean up your mess. For illegal dumping, the maximum penalty is $5,000 per day per violation. Really, people should not need to be reminded that littering is illegal. Shouldn't this be something that's hardwired into people? But people still do it. They do it a lot. So posting white signs announcing fines is, sadly, necessary. Keep Iowa Beautiful continues to push for higher state fines for littering. Thirty-five dollars is likely a slap on the wrist for most people. Worse, it's too seldom enforced. The problem with a lack of signs reminding people of the fines might really be a problem of crying wolf. The law needs to be backed up. You can help with that effort through a littering hotline. Call 1-888-No-Littr (665-4887) if you see someone littering. Include as much detail as possible. If the offender can be identified, he or she will receive a nice letter from the state reminding them of the law, along with a litter bag for their car. Here in Ames, the city should consider posting no-littering signs in appropriate locations. Keeping Ames and Iowa State beautiful should be a common goal for campus and the community. Every bit helps.
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