Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tired of Trash in Shelby County!!!
In an effort to make everyone's voices heard, I am creating this blog for the residents of Shelby County Texas. What has led me to this place is the over abundance of trash being dumped in various locations in the county simply because there are no "legal" dumping places. I started this by simply expressing frustration about trash being dumped on my road. When the elected officials I helped place in office turned the other cheek on my concerns, my frustration grew and I became a woman on a mission. For a while I let the dumping in my ravine go to see if there would be any improvement. There was no improvement and it continued to get worse. Recently, someone dumped a load of bathroom building materials near my home. This sparked my interest in this issue again. I have gotten a huge response via email from other individuals who are just as fed up as I am! I am hoping that this blog will give us all a place to discuss the issue together because the louder our voices, the better the chances are that something will get done. Please feel free to post using your name, or not, but please just post if you too are tired of the problem. My hope is to one day print these blogs and give them all directly to our elected officals to let them know what our concerns are and how they can better serve our community.
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Trash is a part of it, but not the whole issue. The issue to me is that there is no enforcement of the laws in general, no concern for the fellowman. We live in Dogpatch.
ReplyDeleteThose who have been elected to enforce the law and provide civil protection to honest citizens are deaf to the complaints.
Something must be done.
I am the constable of Precinct 3 and as many already know I share your concerns and frustrations about this and many other problems in our county. The act of Illegal Dumping in many ways is no different than any other crime and make no mistake about it, it is a crime. I investigate each and every report that is made to me regarding illegal dumping. As recently as two weeks ago I filed charges on someone for this offense. To my knowledge I am the only one to have filed felony dumping charges in recent years. When I have sufficient evidence to file criminally I do so. I have placed people under arrest on occasions I have seen them throw paper out of their vehicle. I take this offense seriously and do what I can to prevent it. I have worked with suspects countless times to get illegal dumping cleaned up in all parts of my precinct. Dumping is a quality of life issue that effects all who live here, myself included. Having said that just recognizing the problem does not solve the problem. The fact is there are many people in this county who either cannot afford trash pickup or don't care beans about others or both but your frustration is not productive when you criticize and make threats. This problem is not confined to Shelby County but is experienced in most heavily populated poor rural counties. I don't pretend to have the answer to this problem but I can promise you I will continue to file criminal charges on those who I can prove are guilty of this offense. That's really all I can do.
ReplyDeleteBilly, why can we not have inmate-assisted roadside trash pickup? In the 1960s, when I was a little boy, I can recall inmates on this rural road of mine out here cleaning the trash. Some of the guys had yo-yo slingers, but most had bags. They covered the area quite fast.
ReplyDeleteMy farmhand and me cleaned our road in just a few minutes just this week. We had to---the road was a mess. I drove, he did the dirty work. ;>)
Admittedly, heavy dumping--probably the issues you are talking about, is not an issue here. But, trash bags, beer cans, bottles, paper-trash are the main problems. But, they make for quick clean up. I don't see this being enforceable, but the inmates surely could make a difference.
This isn't your area, but I really feel that since we have no county landfill or dump, that the rural roads should have trash cleanup as part of the budget. Just WHO is supposed to clean up the trash??????? All roads will generate trash---people are just dirty.
Irymal,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%. I can't answer your question regarding the use of inmates other than to say I know it becomes a question of having the money to do so..That requires additional supervision that costs money..I don't know how much it would cost but I'm sure the sheriff could address that. I think the idea is worth exploring.
Billy & Irymal,
ReplyDeleteI just spoke with Mr. Rogers about the same idea. During the last town hall meeting when the idea of inmates or even individuals assigned to community service being used to pick up trash was brought up, Mr. Newton Johnson said that there was no funding for this program. When Judge Tomplin was in office, he spoke about starting a program for this but it did not get to happen before he passed away. Maybe Rick Campbell can pick up where he left off in that regard. I have no idea whose job it would be or how to even begin to put something like this in place??
Billy, I read your post earlier, and please know....I am not making threats of any kind or criticizing you or any other person in this county. The obvious fact is that there is trash on our roads that no one knows who should clean up.
Almost 1 year later, there is still not even 1 single sign posted in common dump sites…..Why? Also, there is still trash being dumped in the exact same hot spots, my ravine included, and the exact same trash is still there from 1 year ago. No one has yet to be held liable for cleaning it up because there are no names in the trash. Which by the way, is a known fact to everyone...if u leave your name u get in trouble, so many dump trash making sure no names are there. How do we "prove" who does the dumping when dumping takes place in the middle of the night and when there are no names there? That is no insult or threat to anyone...it is a fact.
Mr. Rogers told me today that the county pays for dumpsters (2 in Joaquin and 2 in Center) twice a year at 800.00 apiece for residents to take their trash. I have never seen these and I have been here over a year now, but why can’t we take that $3200.00 and pay Mansfield to take our trash over there? Perhaps we can come together and donate trailers and have a district clean-up day where we all clean trash, haul it off, and cook hot dogs or something after.
I must say, even after speaking with Mr. Rogers today, I do feel as though my concerns are still falling on deaf ears and no one is willing to do anything about it or find ways to fix the problem. Honestly Billy, you and I have spoken and you know what I am being told...not by you, but by others..."That is not my job...that problem belongs to Sabine National Forest," or "That problem belongs to the Sherriff’s office."
I think the real issue here is that there has been little to no dialogue about what can be done and how it can be paid for.
I did not spend my time creating this blog to insult or threat. That is not what this is about at all. I am simply trying to start a conversation about a real issue so that we can come together as a community to get some real solutions on the table since the problem is wide spread and belongs to everyone in the county.
I would also like to say that according to our governor, the responsibility of solving this problem does ultimately fall on the shoulders of our local elected officials. It is these officials that the people elected into office to be our voice. These are the people we trust to fix problems such as this. I am not making threats when I say that if any of the elected officials can't or won't fix the problem, then maybe we need to replace them with someone who can and will.
Not doing a personal disagreement at all here, but I find the chronic buck-passing simply amazing. I think amazing because the issue even exists.
ReplyDeleteGoing back further, just how can the basic core of road maintenence even exist without including trash cleanup generated by drivers???? Drivers are trashy, even if it is a candy or gum wrapper. That's just the way of life. We know it happens.
As our president days, "Now look....", if my farmhand and me can pick up a few lawn bags worth of light road trash in just a few minutes on a .4 mile stretch of road (my property frontage), surely a trash maintenance program on an annual bssis could be done. 15 - 30 minutes for nearly half a mile with two guys, one (me) doing mainly the driving.
But, my main point is that annual trash clean up on tax-paid rural roads should be part of that road's budget, meager as that budget is.
Illegal dumping is another story. That's just wrong. One packed pickup unloading household trash probably could exhaust a rural road's trash budget.
As a side note, I wish money were available to install deer cameras at the illegal dump sites, or perhaps just a couple at the really active sites to catch the felons on camera.
I was told by Sabine Natinal Forest that they will install cameras on their property if dumping takes place...but only for 2 weeks at a time. I think there are several very common dump sites here in Shelby county (see the other blogs I have posted for pics of 2). A sign, cameras, and a bit more monitoring at these specific sites may deter common dumpers.
ReplyDeleteI asked at the last Town Hall why trash pickup was not just included in everyones tax bill and why the county does not then sub contract out a local company to pick up all resident's trash. I was told it would put the other local trash pick up companies out of buisness. This would solve the dumping problem and then if they would ALSO have prisioners and community service workers do litter detail on the sides of the roads, the problem would be much better....but here is my question....WHOSE JOB IS IT TO PUT THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS IN PLACE???????????
This is EXACTLY why I am frustrated...there are not many positive suggestions floating around and there is always a reason why the ones that do come to light can't work...ok it can't work...so what can?
I just want to put my two cents worth in your trash problem in your county. I am a native of Louisiana who visits your area quite often. Every time we visit we notice the amount of trash on the roadsides. My husband and I have even commented to each other wondering how people could live that way. Meaning, “seeing such trashy roadsides day after day”. The landscape in your county is very beautiful as well as Toledo Bend waterways. That is, if you can see beyond the trash. I know Louisiana is not the most perfect place to live but I can certainly say that we do not have the numerous trash dump sites that Texas has. We have state workers, prisoners and Adopt A Road programs where different organizations adopt a road to help with keeping our roadsides clean. I remember asking on one occasion when visiting, what was the reason for the amount of trash along the roadsides. I was shocked that my answer was because there were NO dump sites for people to drop their trash, nor trash pickup. I immediately wondered why Texans were paying taxes and where the taxes were going. I also wonder why Texas cannot afford a dump site or trash pickup and why the elected officials were not trying to solve the problem. Thank you!!!! "sick of trash" for starting this blog. I hope next time I am able to visit your area it has been cleaned up some and if it takes getting the EPA involved cause everyone is passing the buck, then good for you and keep this blog going. Hopefully your neighbors will get on board with you. Sometimes it takes many voices and the support of others to get the politicians off their rears and get something accomplished.
ReplyDeleteThis was deleted by mistake:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: I have a solution. Clean it up. If you're that sick of looking at the trash on the sides of your County Roadways, or in the ravines of said roadways, then clean the mess up yourself. It is just as time consuming to go out and spend 30-minutes to an hour cleaning up what you are so up set about as it is to write letters to the editor about the trash in our county. Obviously, it isn't as bad as you make it out to be because you haven't gotten out there and picked the mess up. Surely, your time is worth just as much as the facilities you are wanting the county to fund. Don't get me wrong, I completely agree that our county needs somewhere that its citizens can take their trash. But, as other people have said, most can not afford this privelege. If they could, again, like has been said, they would probably pay to have someone pick it up from their residences. Maybe you can afford for one of the many companies to come and pick up your garbage, so, go out with a few trash bags and clean up the area. It just makes more sense that you would go out to pick it up. You speak of "passing the buck", well, that's exactly what you are doing.
Are you not able to understand the tax structure of the county? Are you not aware that we all pay taxes and this tax money should and could be going to:
ReplyDelete1. Fund a program where prisoners and community service workers clean up roadways
And
2. Where tax payers can go and dump their trash for FREE since they are paying for such service in their tax bills?
Is this your answer to every concerned citizen who has posted here and expressed concern over the same issue…to clean it up themselves? If so, you are part of the problem rather than the solution. The problem is that many of the officials you trust with your tax dollars think just like you do and nothing gets done.
I do not expect the county to fund anything…what I expect is to see my tax dollars at work. Why is it my responsibility to clean the roadways that my tax dollars are meant to clean? Just because I have spoken out I should be the one to clean it? I have not run for any kind of elected office…how has this become my responsibility simply because I am vocal enough to express my opinion as my constitutional rights say I can? Clean water and a safe environment are NOT privileges; they are rights…..or so the TCEQ thought or she would not have written 2 citations to the county for a problem that you say is not that bad. …just another example of poor management of money. If the county would use tax dollars to have a free dump site or trash pickup program then they would not have to use your tax dollars to pay for citations for pollution and illegal dumping. Are you not worried of the future and health of your kids and grandkids? If everyone here thought like you are thinking now this area will be nothing more than one big trash heap for your grandkids to live in….just like on Roughrider Dr.
I digress and will not spend another moment arguing with you since that is obviously what you have come here for. This site is not here for these kinds of posts so I would greatly appreciate you not writing to start fights. If you cannot write with real solutions to a very real problem, then I ask that you stay off of here. One last word, I will be glad to clean the trash, if the county will be willing to exempt me from paying the very large amount of taxes I faithfully pay each year.
Apparently Anonymous must not have trash in front of his home. Thank you sick of trash for speaking out for our constitutional rights. Does Anonymous not realize the chemicals from trash that is seeping into the water table. Most of us get our water from wells so we are drinking, cooking and bathing with everyone’s trash. If this problem does not get under control soon we will start seeing health issues in great abundance. The cancer levels will rise and birth defects along with disabilities will continue to rise. But, according to Anonymous this is your problem. I beg to differ. It is the problem of every individual who lives in Shelby County.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing that bothers me is all of the local well sites where thousands of dollars are being pumped from the grounds every hour. Does the county not get a tax from those well sites? If so, why can't those dollars be used for dump sites throughout the county. Just another thought.
I wonder if people with oil wells do pay a higher tax or fee or anything? Good question and one worth exploring for sure. I also wondered if we could do a swap of some kind with Louisiana. They dump their salt water at many of our salt water dump sites. I wonder if we could work it in to dump our trash at their landfills for free? Even Steven kinda thing.
ReplyDelete1) The Sheriff's dept operates on a budget provided by the County Judge and the Commissioners Court. If the Sheriff or other county agencies doesn't have the funds to operate a program, then it's because the County Judge and the County Commissioners, like Mr. Rodgers, are failing to meet their elected responsibilities and provide the legal prohibitions for such trashing and then provide designated agencies with the funding to enforce the County regulations. Let's put the responsibility where it belongs...the sit-on their-hands, do-as-little-as-possible county government.
ReplyDeleteMr Hearnsberger seems offended that anyone would critize officialdom. Hmmm....it would seem that if he doesn't like the message, he just wants to "shoot" the messenger... That won't cut it...citizen participation and holding officialdom to task is the very essence of the democratic process...get used to it...further, I believe his sanctimonious claims of citing some folks for throwing paper cups in a ditch are tantamount to just putting band-aids on a heart attack, in the case of this county wide trash dumping. The unfortunate fact is that he and other county government officials have allowed Shelby County to become one huge garbage pit....We deserve better than that.
Old Timer with a cleaned road! 'Cuz I pick up the trash regularly!!
That sounds like an excellent idea to me. I have always worried about the salt water drom all over being dumped in Texas, and that sounds like a fair trade to me.
ReplyDeleteOld Timer- I could not have said it better myself! I thank you for taking the time to both get involved and add your voice to this issue. I encourage you to come back often.
ReplyDeleteLast night I was told by Anonymous (up above) to clean the trash myself....sound familiar? I was told that exercising my constitutional rights by writing letters to the editor is a waste of my time and I should just use that time to clean up the trash instead. (look above for the exact post. It looks like it came from me because I hit delete instead of post and then had to post it myself to make sure it was included here).
There is a website; they are on here as followers, called www.gradegov.com. There you can grade your elected officials and as their sites says...."They work for you, remind them!" I first saw them on Fox news. Perhaps it is time for the citizens of Shelby County to speak up and remind our local government that they do work for us and we have had enough of being told to clean our own roads while paying taxes too.
I was hoping that other Shelby County citizens would add their voices to our chorus and help get a solution to this aggregious trash dumping problem in our county underway....Please speak up for your silence indicates that you don't care and only allows our county officials to continue to ignore the situation. They will continue to do nothing till the noise level of our combined voices are impossible for them to ignore...Speak up and sound off....loud and long...P - l - e - a - s - e !
ReplyDeleteOld Timer
I was hoping for the same thing. I am sadened at the fact that no one is speaking out and people are already dumping in my ravine again.
ReplyDeletethere are people that have no respect for anything, and they will dump where they want. i, for one, hope that a solution can be found, but as long as " the good ole boy network" remains in power, nothing will be done.
ReplyDeleteIt's been several months since anyone that cared has posted... and you see what hapened... Go to Shelby County Today site and read the minutes of the County Commissioners meeting of 11 January, 2010. They continue to diddle, twiddle and do nothing. It's not gonna change till YOU (not somebody else--- YOU!!) get off of it and light a fire under your County Commissioner!! Are you guilty of diddling & twiddling also?? When we, the citizens, don't get involved, we are gonna get just what we deserve from our elected officials...NOTHING. And, by golly, that is just what we are getting...
ReplyDeleteOld Timer
I think that if they opened up a place in center to where people can dump the trash it would benefit the town because they could charge a small fee to dump it, and the town could profit from this in more than one way. people in the country do not have anywhere to dump trash like the people in town do so they just throw it out anywhere and it trashes up our beautiful country side and some chemicals that they toss out harm our wildlife also
ReplyDelete