Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Your government is working efficiently on your behalf when...
The legislature passes a law enabling property owners to post "do not litter" signs prohibiting the deposit of "menus, leaflets, handbills and circulars on their doorsteps and lawns", with offenders punishable by a $250 fine.
The Sanitation Department then follows up with enforcement rules that require you, the leaflet-loathing property owner, to...
* Post a sign no less than 5 by 7 inches with lettering at least 1 inch high that states: "Do Not Place Unsolicited Advertising Materials on This Property."Hey, that's my government!
* Obtain a complaint form through 311 or the Sanitation Department Web site for each offense.
* Fill out the form, have it notarized, and mail it with a sample of the offending lawn litter to the Sanitation Department enforcement unit in Brooklyn.
* Be available to come in to testify before the Environmental Control Board.
Do I get the feeling that the people at a certain local government agency would rather be using those Chinese menus than cleaning them up?
