http://pjmorgan.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] pjmorgan.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] davis_square2010-01-21 10:09 pm

New snow shovelling policy

I'm going to pick a fight in a passive aggressive way, if that is possible.

So Somerville fines if you shovel snow into the street??!!!
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x1689216222/Fines-set-for-Somervilles-non-shovelers

This is bogus on so many ways.

First of all, during the last storm, right after I shoveled my sidewalk and "shoveled" snow onto my sidewalk. Not just into my driveway (which I've come to expect). Can I fine the city for that?

So is this defined as into the middle of the street, or along the edges? Sometimes you have to shovel just a little bit into the first couple feet of the street. If someone shovels out their car, will that trigger it?

In general, I find it annoying that my real estate taxes go to clearing the roads (which I don't even use since I'm doing my part by not driving) so I guess I have a chip on my shoulder.

And hopefully I just don't understand the regulation. What is the definition of shoveling into the street that they are going off of?

[identity profile] turil.livejournal.com 2010-01-22 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, this policy is one of the most illogical ever. Forcing certain individuals to be responsible for certain public throughways is just insane. Public land is supposed to be cared for by the government. That is their job.

Public land is government owned land, and taking care of it should be a government responsibility.

[identity profile] pierceheart.livejournal.com 2010-01-22 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Work on getting the law changed - write to your aldercritter.

[identity profile] turil.livejournal.com 2010-01-22 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I do indeed spend the vast majority of my time working for better policies.

In doing so, I've learned that piecemeal activism isn't very effective and mostly leads to burnout. Now I look for the roots of the problem, and work up from there.