5.03.2006
Mayor’s Solution To Dog Shit Problem: Yell!
Over the years Plattsburgh’s burghomaster has uttered pat –- and patently stupid –- statements in regards to city problems.
Take the issue of snow removal from city sidewalks during the winter. The city claims that property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks adjacent to their homes after a storm. But some property owners don’t bother and let the snow pile up --even though the city supposedly hands out fines to such scofflaws.
The issue is debated every winter in the city common council. Nothing is done. And what does the mayor say?
“They’ll probably be debating this in the year 2050.”
Really. So how does that statement solve anything?
Recently there have been complaints about dog shit all over downtown, in the parks and on the sidewalks. Some owners aren’t picking up after their crap hounds. And what does the mayor say? Try this quote from the (news)paper:
"It's like shoveling sidewalks [from snow]; it's one of those issues that's always going to be around."
Yup, he hauls out his all-purpose “cycle of seasons” statement. Winter becomes Spring, Spring becomes Summer, etc. Great observation –- that means nothing. Ignoring the useless march of time analogy, maybe the burghomaster should break the cycle and fix the problem so that they’re not talking about it in the year 2050.
But the mayor doesn’t care. He’s leaving in a while, heading for a new job in Albany. The streets and parks downtown could be flooded with dog shit; well, too bad. It’s the next burghomaster’s problem. Of course, the present mayor says he will maintain a home in Plattsburgh –- but his house ain’t near downtown. (Isn’t that a surprise?) He lives in a nice section of town where dog shit isn’t tolerated.
According to the (news)paper, the mayor thinks the answer lies in the goodwill of the people. Huh? If said goodwill already existed, no dog shit would be found. Some dog owners are inconsiderate pigs. End of story.
Besides his “cycle of seasons” pat answer, the mayor proposed a “practical” solution to the unscooped dog shit problem. To quote him again from the (news)paper:
"And if someone sees someone leave dog poop, yell at them to pick it up."
Taxes have increased 27 per cent under this mayor and now he wants private citizens to do the city’s job, enforcing the pooper-scooper law? Then again, it’s no different than trying to make homeowners shovel snow from city sidewalks.
Let’s consider this “yelling” option. Mr. Citizen castigates a dog owner for not scooping up his pet’s mess. So the dog owner unleashes his pit bull, saying: “Gigantor, sic balls!”
And Mr. Citizen becomes Mr. Castrato.
# posted by Stan Spire @ 10:48 PM 
