Anonymous wrote:This all exists. We need to start voting in people who believe in law enforcement. Get the city back to where it was just a few years ago as soon as possible.

+1000

DC resident downtown who up trash daily. It is isnt getting any better until we vote them out. The litter is a byproduct of Millennials who find it part of the urban charm. It just doesnt bother then to have garbage outside their front gate. They’ll just step over it. Gen Z seems much better.

Anonymous wrote:How about having a Department of Public Works that cleans streets? The fact that neighborhoods have to work hard to get a Clean Team and beg the Mayor for one is absurd.

+1, I'm getting so annoyed that we follow all the street sweeping parking rules and then they don't even come anyway and I wind up going out and cleaning up all the trash in the gutter myself. Which, fine, but then why make me move my car? Also none of my neighbors bother so I guess I have to clean all the gutters myself or accept there is just a bunch of trash in the street.

What is the point of paying taxes and following laws for public services if we don't get the services and then have to do it ourselves anyway?

Also, there is a group of 10-20 people who hang out at the bus stop near my house. They have multiple off-leash dogs, regularly park in the bus stop (we once saw them with a vehicle up on blocks to do work on it *in the bus stop*), litter, openly drink alcohol, and of course, smoke a bunch of weed. For some reason, they are never ticked for parking in the bus stop, yet if I forget to move my car for street sweeping, it's $100 plus a tow.

It's stuff like this that makes people not ask themselves "what can I do to help DC?" OP.

Start a campaign to get parents involved in communities, feeling like part of a community tends to make people think twice about their decisions. Positive peer pressure is a thing.

Poor naive op

How about having a Department of Public Works that cleans streets? The fact that neighborhoods have to work hard to get a Clean Team and beg the Mayor for one is absurd.

Anonymous wrote:Lets forget what your city can do for you and for a change focus on what you individuals can do for your city? Any ideas?

I would say, first is to get TV channels and newspapers involved then start district wide campaigns. For example, clean up sundays, when residents come out to clean up neighborhoods on first Sunday of every month. Yard Fridays, when on a spring Friday, people spruce up their yards. May be an yearly fall fence festival, when people fix up or paint their fences.

How 'bout carjacking Tuesday's?
Metro gate high jump competition Wednesday's?
Off road motocross motorcycling on mall Thursday's?

Pay for kids to be in school and learn.

Stop electing in idiots.

This all exists. We need to start voting in people who believe in law enforcement. Get the city back to where it was just a few years ago as soon as possible.

My first reaction to this is to get annoyed because I already do a lot of this stuff either via community-led events or just on my own, but I feel there is a significant contingent of people in DC who simply DNGAF about things like keeping the streets clean, making this a nice place to live, etc. And then on top of it there are all these fundamental problems with city services, and then you add crime on top of that (both violent crime and also all the petty little annoyance crime that just wears you down when it's day after day).

I get what you are saying OP and I do think if we all put effort into caring for our communities, we'd all benefit. The problem is that the people who care about this largely already do it, and the people who don't, are not going to start. Sadly, I think the way you address DC's biggest problems is the hard way -- addressing poverty, substance abuse, homelessness, the education system (and in particular the kids who dropping out, are not engaged, not learning, etc.). It's a really hard problem and I have not found that our regular trash pickups or neighborhood clean ups do much to address any of it.

We could petition urgently for ranked choice voting.

Anonymous wrote:Our neighborhood already does a lot of this stuff. Why would we need a district-wide event?

Just a start to involve and excite everyone and creat some district spirit. I'm sure otgers have better ideas than me.

Neighborhood yard of the month signs to instill some pride in taking care of the yards.

Our neighborhood already does a lot of this stuff. Why would we need a district-wide event?

Lets forget what your city can do for you and for a change focus on what you individuals can do for your city? Any ideas?

I would say, first is to get TV channels and newspapers involved then start district wide campaigns. For example, clean up sundays, when residents come out to clean up neighborhoods on first Sunday of every month. Yard Fridays, when on a spring Friday, people spruce up their yards. May be an yearly fall fence festival, when people fix up or paint their fences.