The Downtown Living Advocates hold litter clean up days in Moore Square about once a month. Look for our next date sometime in May. Go to our website www.raleighdla.com for more info.

Downtown Living Advocates are rock stars. Thanks for all you do within the many downtown Raleigh districts.

I see this as a symptom of a much greater problem. Parents are not teaching their children to be responsible citizens. Additionally, we have become so accustomed to this type of irresponsible behavior that we accept it rather than take the time to clean it up. Three times last week, I witnessed people purposely throwing trash out their windows while driving.

We as citizens could ask the courts to make sure everyone caught littering was required to pick up litter each weekend from our parks and green-ways until they surpassed their weight. The additional exercise could be beneficial and would provide some life training. The other part of the puzzle would be teaching our already overworked officers to catch these criminals.

From my observation, it appears that most of the litterbugs are the homeless and the "socioeconomically disadvantaged".

What would be awesome is if William Barber spends his community service time cleaning up Moore Square. Then for once, he can actually do something that helps the community.

Just the other day, I was some disadvantaged lady throw tissue out of her car window in front of my house... I yelled at her and she picked it up. More people need to yell at those people.

Glenn...so let me get this straight. You believe that it should be the responsibility of the NC president of the NAACP to clean up trash in Raleigh, NC? Here's a suggestion: What don't YOU use YOUR community service time to clean up. Surely someone so "socioeconomically advantaged" has some spare time?

Don't get me wrong, I'm fed up with trash in my neighborhood and agree that more people should yell at offenders. However, you should really be careful about the things you say. Your post makes you sound like a bigot. Are you?

There are trash cans all over downtown. It's not lack of bins but a lack of concern that's the issue. I hate how smokers can just throw their butts anywhere and think it's ok.

Why should he? He has already purchased property downtown, pays hefty taxes to live here and ultimately more in income tax funding the people that are throwing trash on his lawn. It's like a kick in the face. I have no issue with helping less fortunate out, but if you don't respect the neighborhood you are already being paid for to live in, your neighbors that keep the place "nice" are going to bail. Then where would they be?

Just a thought, maybe those living for free on our tax dollars can make it out once a month to help clean up and get some exercise? Sound like a win win to you?

Exactly. Nothing should be free, but I think we digress from possible solutions. There's no reason why the Salvation Army cannot encourage those right there in Moore Square to help clean up while visiting for their services. It's a matter of teaching respect, which people and institutions seems to brush over these days.

In response to Guest (guest)--I agree, nothing should be free and the Salvation Army suggestion is a good one. What I take offense to is the suggestion that it is somehow Reverend Barber's responsibility to clean up trash (y'know instead of causing trouble with good old white folk, and Rev-- bring me a pepsi while yer at it ok boy?). I also take offense to the suggestion that every person who receives government aid is milking the system, sitting around watching tv while they should be cleaning the streets. I agree that there are people who work the system to their advantage, but aren't there wealthy people who take advantage of the system? This is not seen as criminal though, only "resourceful".

Lastly, I agree that this whole discussion takes away from the one thing that we all agree on, which is eliminating trash from our streets. I just wish we could discuss this in a civil way....

All valid points.

Who from the Salvation Army is going to clean the mess? The children? Or their mothers after working a 40hr work week? In between mandated appointments and meetings? While the suggestion seems sound to those who do not understand, the facts leading to that conclusion are missing or incorrect.

No, the homeless people hanging out all day in the actual square and who most likely have left the litter there in the first place after their meals was the suggestion! I said the SA could encourage people, not do it themselves, if you read what I wrote.

So are you saying that William barber is living off of glenns tax dollars? Remember that the suggestion was that William barber clean glenns lawn. Owning property is more of a responsibility than just buying it. My issue is with glenns suggestion that this is an naacp problem. As i stated above, I am also tired of the trash.

Of course not nick. Having lived close tO downtown a few years ago, it's obvious that there are going to be perks and grievances. All that I am suggesting is that if gov agencies are going to offer housing for less fortunate near 500k homes, some of that gov aid needs to go towards to maintaining the integrity of the property of the neighbors that are working and paying taxes going to making the housing possible to begin with. It's a delicate balance, and if a solution is not soon made, we will all lose in the end.

I think what Glenn means is that Barber was recently sentenced to 40 hours of community service for a crime he committed.

Parks employees are doing what they can to clean up at Moore Square but it is a problem difficult to keep up with. We do work with the Raleigh Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army to try to reduce the problem by working with the people they serve in the community. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance Clean Team also tries to help out when they can by cleaning up litter on the sidewalks. We on the public side REALLY appreciate the help DLA and others give in doing community clean-ups in the park. Wish there was an easy solution to this but everyone pitching in to help means a lot to our over-worked crews out there trying to keep all our parks as clean as possible.

As a resident of aforementioned shelter, may I enlighten the previous commentors to the fact that the Salvation Army next to Moore Square in downtown Raleigh is a residence for women with children only. Those who occupy the park and cause the litter and damage are none of those who reside here.
To the suggestion that those residents at the Salvation Army should clean up the messes made by others I can say myself that some of us do work 40+ hours a week in addition to mandated appointments, meetings, all with a curfew of 7pm. Yes, we're people too and care about this city, but our focus is on repairing own own situations so we may be soon self-sufficient. We have hardly the time to take on any more tasks. If the aim was to punish us for our "freeloading" please trust me, we're punished enough already.

While your ideas stem from what seems like logic, the facts leading to that conclusion are missing or incorrect.

No one suggested that the residents clean it up!!! That point below was incorrect. People visiting Moore Square to get meals there, in the square, across from the Salvation Army, was the comment. I assume that lots of litter comes from the people discarding stuff after eating or from the people who receive the meals at other times throughout the day. I said the SA, or any other institution giving out food, could reinforce the idea of respect for the area and Earth by not littering to those people while giving their food services.