Print

It's A City, Not A Dump

Hartford Courant Editorial

December 30, 2011

Twice in the past three weeks, some idiot has dumped more than 100 old tires at the Bowles Park housing project in Hartford. What's worse is that these are not isolated incidents, at the project or elsewhere around the city. "This happens frequently ... It is a huge issue," said Marilyn E. Rossetti, chairwoman of the Hartford Housing Authority, which operates the project.

The long and the short -- it damn well better stop.

Ms. Rossetti is angry and frustrated, as all of us should be. You wouldn't want tires, mattresses and other junk dumped on your property. Why is it OK to do it in Bowles Park? Because poor people live there?

Bowles Park has nurtured many residents to success in life over the past six decades. It has earned no disrespect, and no one has a right to treat it so shabbily. People who use Hartford as a dump are thoughtless slobs who are ultimately hurting themselves. If the core of the region isn't vital, eventually the region will decline.

The housing authority will pay more than $1,000 to clean up the two loads of tires. That's money and staff time that could be used on far better initiatives.

The housing authority has brought the police in on the case. We urge the police and Mayor Pedro Segarra to make it a priority. We urge the tenants' association to get involved and get the license plate numbers of anyone seen dumping at the site. This is an outrage.