Trash Me

To get a sense of what litter and garbage do to the health and well-being of Philadelphians, we need only to look back in Philadelphia City history. The Fairmount Park System in part was created to solve the City’s early problem with water supply contamination by litter and waste. Through city planning the waterworks were moved from the Center Square Water Works to the banks of the Schuylkill River creating the Fairmount Water Works and Fairmount Park System. Today, the Fairmount Park System and its over 9200 acres of land, weaving through 63 neighborhoods and regional parks within the City of Philadelphia, stands as a testament to what good solid city planning can do.

So what can be done with Philadelphia’s present litter and waste problem? Enforcement of litter violations alone will never solve the problem. I commend the community leaders in their tireless efforts to keep our city clean. Their work is a starting point for solving our City’s litter problem. The litter problem in the City can only be solved by good City planning from the Mayor and City Council. Just like Philadelphia did in 1855, when it created the Fairmount Park System, our next Mayor must work with City Council to set up neighborhood by neighborhood cleanup, beautification and education programs. Youth programs in each neighborhood should stress street cleanliness and anti-graffiti programs. Planning starts by targeting neighborhoods individually and working on the immediate goals of cleaning streets in each neighborhood thereby instilling neighborhood pride and a sense of community.

A clean city is a healthy city that is alive and vital. When elected Mayor I plan to make sure that Philadelphia is the gleaming example that William Penn set forth when he took the time to plan city streets and parks so that life and commerce would uplift its residents.

Al Taubenberger
Candidate for Mayor