Tony Thomas talks trash

By John Bennett

July 28, 2008

I was recently watching a long-running reality television series on Comcast cable channel 8. TV Guide described the most recent episode of “Savannah City Council Meeting” as a “regular meeting of Savannah’s mayor and aldermen.” The episode I watched was taped before a live studio audience on July 17.

Near the end, Tony Thomas—who joined the cast of “Savannah City Council Meeting” during the 2000 season—described a recent visit to an illegal trash dump. Thomas was clearly angered by the pile of trash which contained, among other items, a “Christmas statue” and a “fish aquarium.” Also present was paint, which Thomas feared had leaked into a nearby watershed. Thomas went the extra mile, digging through the refuse to find discarded mail that could point back to the origin of the garbage.

On July 23, the Savannah Morning News reporter Eric Curl followed up with “Alderman: Illegal dumpers should be trashed.” Thomas is suggesting a new way to discourage the practice: humiliation. Here’s a snip from Curl’s story:

Aside from issuing fines, Thomas is also advocating the installation of cameras in problem areas and “public shaming.” He said the city should adopt a program where the illegal dumpers are filmed cleaning up trash sites and then broadcast the video on the government channel. “That would make you think twice if you got caught doing something like that,” Thomas said.

Is public shaming the answer? If so, what other public nuisances could be curbed with this tactic? Personally I’m wondering about an appropriate sanction for the legions of lawn care professionals who use leaf blowers to move trash and yard waste from private properties onto public streets and sidewalks.

Posted in Government, Neighborhoods, Politics, Water