Harlan Kirgan
Litter is Louisiana’s ever present dirty little war.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said, “It is a battle. I took a picture the other day and sent it to a parish president and said, ‘I just passed through your parish. You need to clean this up.’”
One of Nungesser’s jobs as lieutnant governor is overseeing Keep Louisiana Beautiful.
“It is going to take people with a love and passion ... to keep talking about it and embarrass people to do the right thing,” he said.
The local arm of beautifying the state, Keep Eunice Beautiful, was meeting Wednesday to plan the March 23 Leaders Against Litter.
Dona Baltakis, director of Keep Eunice Beautiful, said business and political leaders are the focus of the event to be held at City Hall.
“Actually, I think we are doing better,” she said about litter and property cleanup in Eunice.
From 8:30 to 10 a.m. Baltakis and other Keep Eunice Beautiful members will make their case and hit the streets to pick up some litter.
Business owners will be urged to provide trash containers on the their property to reduce litter, she said.
Baltakis said school and church youth groups have been enlisted to pick up litter in their neighborhoods.
The city’s code enforcement effort has improved with the return of Bill Thompson, code enforcement officer, she said.
Nungesser, in a letter about the Leaders activity, said participants will be asked to pledge support spread the word that litter is not acceptable, pick up letter and stand up and lead the way for a litter-free Louisiana.
“Over the past four years, nearly two thousand of our state’s leaders have taken part in Leaders Against Litter, a combined effort that has removed over 25,000 pounds of trash and 16,494 cigarette butts from our state’s roadways and green spaces. Even more importantly, these leaders have pledged to take an active role in caring for their community by taking a public stance against littering, and working with the local affiliate for a cleaner community,” Nungesser wrote.
“Many people don’t realize that litter and pollution deter business growth and tourism, reduces property values, and increases criminal activity. A healthy local economy relies on a clean, vibrant community and a commitment from those who live there to care for it,” he stated.