Personal experience
Phillip Mott
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
IT’S THAT TIME of year again. The road and bridge department has come out with its statements that illegal dumping is placing a tremendous burden on the county. The leadership of the county has chimed in and denounced the despicable actions of the illegal dumpers. And now, as seen in the April 16 Gazette, the annual editorial has now appeared.
Of course, all of these statements and facts are correct; however, my past experience with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department unfortunately leads me to believe that this is only lip service.
Two years ago, not two weeks after our annual barrage of anti-dumping messages, I witnessed a truck dumping; called the sheriff’s office, gave the information to the dispatcher, asked if I needed to wait for the deputy and was told no. While I was in Emporia, the deputy called and stated that the area the dumping had taken place in on the county right of way had been used for a dump for years and he wasn’t going to pursue the matter. After a conversation with the deputy about expectations and duties, he agreed to look into the dumping. The deputy called a second time to tell me the dumper wouldn’t come to the door and he would call me the next day. On Monday the deputy called me at work and informed me that he had returned to the dump site and found the dumper picking up the trash he had dumped.
This leads me back to Patrick Kelley’s editorial of the 16th; yes, it would be great to have law enforcement that would find the value of prosecuting the perpetrator — and making a to-do about it.
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Not only the illegal dumping of trash but also animals. Many times dogs and cats are dropped off on the highways around Emporia to be killed by traffic or end up on someone's porch in sad shape. I even watched a young couple put a dead cat in a large box cover with an old shirt and then tossed into the creek. Please, how can we stop these uncaring people?
April 25, 2007 at 4:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporiaeducator (anonymous) says...
I agree with you davedailey. Just tonight I took in what appears to be an abandoned puppy. This is one of numerous times that city people shirk their responsibility and for some reason think that I need yet another mouth to feed. I hate to contact animal control immediately, because I don't want the animals to be put to sleep. But why is it assumed that I have time to deal with this just because I live in the country? Anyone willing to give a sweet, loving puppy a forever home?
April 25, 2007 at 5:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
What kind of puppy? :) The only animals I own are strays. I lived out in the country for many many years and had many strays......people don't need a license to be a parent or animal owner, but we need one to drive (which is questionable for many people, LOL).
Dumping is scary but imagine the chemicals going into the ground as the dumping is occurring and allowed to stay on the ground and seep in......fridge coolants, bleach, grease, who knows what else.
M
April 25, 2007 at 7:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
photobuggy2 (anonymous) says...
You know, if someone is caught poaching they have their vehicle, license, gun etc taken away...why not do the same for someone illegally dumping. Sell said vehicle and put in a fund for clean-up. Also have said dumper work on the clean up crew as community service.
If your caught dumping an animal then you should have to pay for at least a years worth of care to the humane society, and community service at the humane society.
I don't know, but there are many ideas one could come up with if everyone takes a minute to think about it! We owe it to ourselves, our families and our community to come up with a solution that will cover all the bases.
April 25, 2007 at 11:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Emporia_Proud (anonymous) says...
No one thinks that you, emporiaeducator, has time to take care of this just because you live in the country. Why is it that you are generalizing that everyone from the city is the same. A majority of us come from the country. You shouldn't be like that, especially if you're an educator. And don't say it is you opinion, it just plain wrong.
I do think that it is very wrong to treat animals in such a manner. You also have to admit that animals have only few choices with people like this. One, they get killed by the owners. Two, they die in the wild or on the street. Three, they end up in a pound and get put to sleep unless someone adopts them. Four, they survive in the wild. Five, someone who is kind hearted like you finds them and gives them a home.
April 26, 2007 at 5:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Emporia_Proud, Why is it you still do not live in the country? Is it because the city folk (zoning, etc.) want those in the country to live like city? If so, then those in the country should ask for the same perks that city folk have, such as sewers, sidewalks, paved streets, cablevision, etc. Thanks
April 27, 2007 at 9:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Emporia_Proud (anonymous) says...
We do pay for the "perks" we have and so you can see we pay county and city taxes. It makes sense for me to live in city with the things that I want to do right now. I hope to have land some day, I love the flinthills.
You get what you pay for. Yes, I get all of these "perks", but I also get the person who lives next door and their huge pile of dog crap only a few feet away. You live where you can be alone and not see a human for days. You also get people who suck and litter the countryside. We all have problems
All that I am trying to say is "live and let live". I don't care how you live so you shouldn't care how I live. It just seems that the people who are posting on these articles have some huge conspiracy theroy, that "city folk" want to run you lives.
Just quit thinking that everyone from the city is out to get you.
April 27, 2007 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Emporia_Proud, love your comments. If the city folk would just see it your way we all might be ok.
April 27, 2007 at 10:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
I don't think everyone in the city is out to get those out in the country.
I do think the Emporia City Commission & the Lyon County Commission like to make life harder on those who choose to live in the country.......I'm not saying each & every member on both of those commissions is that way, I'm saying it's a pattern that has developed over time.
Why is the zoning in Lyon County a huge issue but it's not a huge issue in Chase County? Chase County seems very good at the "live & let live" idea and yet Lyon County keeps poking their noses into private situations.
Why is there such a discrepancy in the tax percentages in Lyon County vs. what the average person in Lyon County earns? Chase County is a "poor" county and their taxes more accurately reflect that. Lyon County seems to either have "very rich" or "just getting by". There are very few (in my opinion and from what I have seen) "middle class".
Finally, if the Lyon County Commissioners would just go away and leave people to "live & let live" everyone would probably be happier and become a more productive citizen.
M
April 27, 2007 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
All of this brings to mind another question. Why is someone who lives in Chase county working in the enviromental service in Lyon county and telling the Lyon country folk what to do and how to live???????
April 27, 2007 at 10:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
siamesefred (anonymous) says...
I assume we all have reasons for the choices of where we live. I enjoy living in the country and not having neighbors who can see in my windows.
But when we looked to move elsewhere in the county, we restricted ourselves to a specific school district because we chose not to ask our children to switch. That's our choice, but it limited our options.
Others I know have moved because they want to be in a certain school district. Again, their choice.
Perhaps the Lyon Co employee prefers lower taxes in Chase County or fewer people or married into or inherited land.
We don't know, and it shouldn't matter.
April 27, 2007 at 11:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
The whole point of this is that the Lyon county commission should adapt the Chase county attitude. People who live in the country had the choice to do so, they should not have to be bothered by what the county thinks they should "have" to do because the county commissioners think it is a good idea. They keep raising the taxes so people will eventually leave anyway. Also the banks are not helping people buy homes or come here because of the restrictions of lagoons, flood planes, etc. placed on them by both county and federal regulations. We could all do a nice job of live and let live if we all work to keep the trash picked up. Still no response to why is someone from Chase county telling Loyn county what to do and how to live????
April 27, 2007 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mythoughts (anonymous) says...
I am awfully tired of people from the county saying "you city people blah blah" etc. It's like "you colored people," or "you foreign people," or "you college people." I think if we'd stop trying to pigeonhole entire groups into black-and-white categories we might actually be able to talk about problems instead of "at" problems.
Do county people dump their animals in the city? Or do they just shoot them? Those "county people" all have guns and rotting cesspools in their back yards, right? : ) I'm just playing devil's advocate there. Stop the hate.
April 27, 2007 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
photobuggy2 (anonymous) says...
You know it dosen't matter if you live in the country or in the city....The problem is how do we stop the dumping??? What can WE as a community do...what are your suggestions?
April 27, 2007 at 10:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
midnight_rider (anonymous) says...
It is called being responsible for our animals and trash.
ANIMALS - If people would get their animals fixed in the first place, that would help eliminate unwanted animals. No one should be so cruel as to take a helpless animal to the country and dump it. THEY DO NOT SURVIVE IN THE COUNTRY. So just be responsible and take your unwanted animals to the animal shelter.
TRASH - I believe the Lyon county landfill is having FREE DUMP this week. So both the city and country folk so just gather up all of the junk/trash and dump it for FREE. ..
April 28, 2007 at 6:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
Midnight_rider--this is free dump week? I wonder why it was not advertised? I look online every day and never saw anything in the Gazette about this being free week, kwim?
I wonder why?
M
April 28, 2007 at 8:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
photobuggy2 (anonymous) says...
Midnight_rider, yes it is called being responsible, which say 15 out of 20 people will be...what about the other 5? How do we discourage it or make it an unattractive solution instead of an easy solution?
April 29, 2007 at 12:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
Ya know I think from now on I'll be ignoring you, Snake, and your assinine comments. Why do you care how much time I spend online? Oh--and I'm raising very liberal children, LMAO, so be afraid--be very afraid.
Yours truly,
MelissaE
April 29, 2007 at 10:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Emporia_Proud (anonymous) says...
snake, what is you problem? It is fine to make comments and share opinions but why do you always attack others? Sounds like you need a serious HUG!
April 30, 2007 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Emporia_Proud (anonymous) says...
Who the heck is Tom?
May 1, 2007 at 8:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
midnight_rider (anonymous) says...
Melissa, Tom (whoever he is) and everyone else. If you have not found the FREE DUMP infornation. It is from April 28 - May 13, Hours are monday-saturday 8 -5 and sunday 1-5. All you have to do is present your April 2007 electric bill. Still do not know how you missed it. It's been in the gazette, The Shopper and on the sign outside of the auditoriuum.
May 1, 2007 at 10:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
I don't get the paper version of the Gazette. But thanks for the information.....I don't get the Shopper either or drive by the auditorium because I don't live in Emporia. However, I was born & raised there and asked a simple question about why it wasn't online--I don't think I asked anything about the paper version.
Again, thanks for the info.
M
May 3, 2007 at 2:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )