*The best way—or rather, the best word—to describe the massive garbage dumping site I stood in front of recently on a busy South Los Angeles street was not a dump but an “Emporium.”
Every sort of trash imaginable—mattresses, bedding, tires, auto parts and endless types of furnishings—was strewn across the sidewalk.
It stretched nearly an entire block.
Here was the first test and challenge for Mayor-elect Nithya Raman: Declare an all-out war on street garbage dumping in South L.A.
Mayor-elect Raman can take her first giant and doable step toward fulfilling her vision of a better L.A. by making the elimination of massive street garbage dumping in South L.A. a top priority. She would send the strong message that her administration will go all out to protect the health and safety of thousands of residents threatened by widespread dumping.
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Illegal Dumping Continues to Plague South L.A.
The problem of garbage pileups in South L.A. and the continuing complaints from residents have long bedeviled city officials. Things are clearly spiraling out of control.
A 2022 analysis by Construction Coverage gave Los Angeles the dubious distinction of ranking second nationally among major cities for the percentage of streets with litter. While that ranking is several years old, the problem remains painfully visible in many neighborhoods.
The Los Angeles City Controller’s Office warned in a 2021 report that illegal dumping of thousands of tons of trash, debris and hazardous waste on city sidewalks and streets diminished the quality of life for residents.
Reporting Illegal Dumping Is Not Enough
The city’s response has included a reward program for information leading to enforcement against illegal dumpers. Under city rules, qualifying rewards can reach up to $1,000.
But offering rewards is hardly a sufficient response to a critical, potentially life-threatening problem.
The sanitation department’s answer is no better. Its official website encourages citizens to report illegal dumping. The assumption is that the department will send out a crew to clean it up.
What it doesn’t say is when the cleanup will take place.
This is where Raman can forcefully step in. Make cleaning up and clearing out the mountains of illegally dumped garbage in South L.A. a centerpiece of her oft-stated pledge to make L.A. a bigger and even more beautiful city.
That means taking every step necessary to remove health-threatening trash and garbage dumps from public streets, especially those in South L.A.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His forthcoming book is “Trump’s Obama Obsession” (Amazon ebook and Middle Passage Press). He hosts the weekly news and issues commentary radio show “The Hutchinson Report,” Tuesdays, 4–5 p.m. PST, on KPFK-Pacifica Radio 90.7 FM, streaming at kpfk.org.
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