Letter: Vero turns into Tobacco Road

Source from:  tcpalm.com Sunday, January 6, 2008 01/14/2008

Every Vero Beach roadside into, out of and in between is littered with trash, thanks to the many trucks without secured or covered loads. All the roads are littered with trash that is used by companies that haul trash to the landfill. All have leaky containers. All trucks and trailers with open bodies spew their garbage along our roadways. Not all of this is by accident. Many times, I have seen individuals throw their empty containers, paper cups, cans, empty cigarette packs, cardboard boxes and trash bags full of trash into the back of their trucks, knowing full well that it will blow out onto the road. Other sinners are people who eat, drink and drive. Their trash makes Vero Beach look like tobacco road. Litter laws have meant nothing to these offenders, as few, if any, are ever prosecuted. My belief has always been that trucks transporting materials or trash are to be securely covered. Drivers who knowingly transport cardboard boxes or trash that is not secured are offering a voluntary tax to the county, and that tax should be collected. When anyone is caught littering, the fine should be paid, the fine will not be used for the pickup and removal of the trash. The offenders will be assigned to an area of road of not less than a two-mile stretch, and they will clean this area on a regular basis for one month. All county and city service departments that travel on the county roads could benefit through additional taxes by reporting offenders. Let us all work together to make our area cleaner in 2008. Enditem