DC Hopes to Clean Up With Littering Fines
By MATTHEW STABLEY
Updated 10:56 PM EST, Wed, Nov 19, 2008
WASHINGTON -- In an effort to keep city streets clean, the D.C. Council is establishing fines for littering.
Anyone caught littering would face a $75 fine under the new legislation -- $125 if the litter was tossed or dropped out of a vehicle.
The legislation also includes a $250 fine for trying to give a false name if you get caught littering.
Council Member Jim Graham took issue with the extra fine for falsifying information.
"I always keep in mind that 25 percent of the people in Ward 1 live below the federal poverty level," Graham said. "It's easy for us to say, you know, it's (just a) $250 fine. But a $250 fine for people who are scraping to make ends meet, on any given day or week, is something that needs to be approached with very considerable care."
Council Member Kwame Brown agreed to looking more closely at the extra fine, but added, "We also want to make sure that before that McDonald's bag is thrown on the ground, they think twice and take it to the nearest trash can."
Prior to this action, D.C. did not have fines for littering.
First Published: Nov 18, 2008 7:17 PM EST
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