2008 Woodie Awards
Council should downgrade existing city litter penalities
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Editorials
The Oxford City Council will consider passing a city amendment decreasing the penalties for littering at its upcoming Nov. 20 meeting. Also at the meeting, the city council will consider incorporating, into the existing litter law, an amendment making the location of trashcans on front lawns, adjacent to front porches or on walkways a fourth degree misdemeanor with a fine. The Miami Student editorial board supports removing the fourth degree misdemeanor penalty from litter violations but is disappointed to see city council seriously debating a law concerning the location of trashcans in the city.
Making certain litter violations a fourth degree misdemeanor is unreasonable and the city council is right to change the policy. If the misdemeanor policy stays in effect, Miami University students wishing to apply to graduate schools will still be forced to explain why a littering offense is on their permanent criminal record and the circumstances surrounding it. Indeed, the fourth degree misdemeanor of littering is legally equivalent to possession of a small amount of marijuana. The debate over marijuana use aside, the two issues should not be placed on the same level of severity by any lawmaking body-including Oxford City Council.
In addition, spending time and resources on the trashcan proposal is unfortunate and this editorial board hopes the proposal is dropped. It is almost absurd for the city council to be spending any time on littering when critical issues such as affordable housing, off-campus lighting and increased crime continue to face the city of Oxford. Heavy litter left in the wake of a typical college party is an eyesore and students do have an inherent responsibility to dispose of their trash in a timely manner, but if city council finds littering to be an important issue, then they should be encouraging the Oxford Police Department (OPD) to enforce existing laws on littering. Existing local ordinances on littering can be used to remedy the trashcan debate. If trashcans are strewn across a lawn with garbage everywhere-then obviously that resident is in violation of current littering laws. In addition, while city appearance is always a concern and student cleanliness is a responsibility that should be promoted, specific laws over the placement of trashcans are unnecessary and in practice may be enforced in a blanket manner instead of targeting specific offenders.
The very issue of enforcement introduces another dilemma with local laws passed in Oxford. It appears as though the city council passes laws with Miami students in mind, not always Oxford residents. It has been the experience of this editorial board that some Oxford residents are in violation of local ordinances dealing with litter and indoor furniture sitting outside indefinitely. Existing laws should be enforced uniformly, without regard to a violator being a college student or permanent resident of the town.
Yes, if students simply took the time to clean up after outdoor parties, city council would never have drafted an ordinance that enforced such a severe penalty for littering. However the current litter violation and this potential new trashcan violation take the debate too far. Reminding the community-both students and residents-of the existing laws and pushing for the continual enforcement of the laws should be the focus on city council.
Making certain litter violations a fourth degree misdemeanor is unreasonable and the city council is right to change the policy. If the misdemeanor policy stays in effect, Miami University students wishing to apply to graduate schools will still be forced to explain why a littering offense is on their permanent criminal record and the circumstances surrounding it. Indeed, the fourth degree misdemeanor of littering is legally equivalent to possession of a small amount of marijuana. The debate over marijuana use aside, the two issues should not be placed on the same level of severity by any lawmaking body-including Oxford City Council.
In addition, spending time and resources on the trashcan proposal is unfortunate and this editorial board hopes the proposal is dropped. It is almost absurd for the city council to be spending any time on littering when critical issues such as affordable housing, off-campus lighting and increased crime continue to face the city of Oxford. Heavy litter left in the wake of a typical college party is an eyesore and students do have an inherent responsibility to dispose of their trash in a timely manner, but if city council finds littering to be an important issue, then they should be encouraging the Oxford Police Department (OPD) to enforce existing laws on littering. Existing local ordinances on littering can be used to remedy the trashcan debate. If trashcans are strewn across a lawn with garbage everywhere-then obviously that resident is in violation of current littering laws. In addition, while city appearance is always a concern and student cleanliness is a responsibility that should be promoted, specific laws over the placement of trashcans are unnecessary and in practice may be enforced in a blanket manner instead of targeting specific offenders.
The very issue of enforcement introduces another dilemma with local laws passed in Oxford. It appears as though the city council passes laws with Miami students in mind, not always Oxford residents. It has been the experience of this editorial board that some Oxford residents are in violation of local ordinances dealing with litter and indoor furniture sitting outside indefinitely. Existing laws should be enforced uniformly, without regard to a violator being a college student or permanent resident of the town.
Yes, if students simply took the time to clean up after outdoor parties, city council would never have drafted an ordinance that enforced such a severe penalty for littering. However the current litter violation and this potential new trashcan violation take the debate too far. Reminding the community-both students and residents-of the existing laws and pushing for the continual enforcement of the laws should be the focus on city council.
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