Wanted: Good trashy ideas

When the legislature’s Environmental Review Commission met last week to discuss a number of issues, one item on the agenda was the growing problem of trash on our roadsides, and what to do about it.
I wasn’t there for Friday’s meeting, but I see by Saturday’s News & Observer that reporter Matthew Eisley was there and reported that no one suggested legislative approaches about what to do about roadside trash.
Eisley wrote that commission co-chairman Dan Clodfelter, D-Mecklenburg, asked the state DOT’s litter control coordinator if he’d like to recommend policy changes. The newspaper reported that George Kapetanakis declined, saying it wasn't his place to make recommendations. Absent suggestions from anyone, the commission took up other issues.
Given that readers of The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer have suggested a long list of actions, it’s surprising that none of them came up before the Environmental Review Commission.
Maybe it’s time for those with good ideas to send them to their legislators. An easy way to make that connection is to go to the General Assembly’s Website and follow the links to House and Senate members. From there it’s easy to hit the e-mail link for individual members. If you’ve got a helpful idea, let ‘em know.