Municipalities everywhere find it difficult to enforce litter laws. Asheville is no exception. But the piles of rubbish on private property around Asheville suggest that even offensive messes are more than the city can or will deal with. The heap of rubble that once was a building at 486 Merrimon Ave. collapsed approximately two years ago and is still there today, reminding us that the city is simply not motivated to deal with messes because they are busy approving developer projects.
When a City Council member was asked about this, his bland reply suggested that the Merrimon pile may well be there indefinitely, for all the city plans to do about it.
By their indifference, Asheville’s city fathers demonstrate that they don’t care enough about the city’s appearance to make rubbish piles go away, and show disrespect for the people who voluntarily clean the roadsides or pull rubbish from the river—or anyone who cares about the city’s appearance.
— Allen Thomas
Asheville
