RSSWe're all in this fight against graffiti
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This editorial appears in the Yakima Herald-Republic on June 28, 2009.
Graffiti doesn't only deface the side of a building or wall. It's an eyesore that devalues property and, if allowed to linger for days, broadcasts a message that the community has given up, that the gang thugs and roaming taggers have won. This is a battle communities in Central Washington cannot shrink from or lose resolve.
However, while the recent decision by the Yakima City Council to diminish its assault on graffiti may make sense on an accountant's spreadsheet, it also raises a serious concern about finding a balance between municipal and private property owners' responsibilities. Volunteers engaged by the city cannot win this fight alone.
There's no question the scourge of graffiti is a costly one. More than $12 billion each year is spent by communities across the nation to battle it. Gang graffiti is one element of the problem. However, gangs tend to mark their territory in specific neighborhoods.
In most cities, the principal culprits are taggers who sign their graffiti as a way to gain notoriety. And it follows, the more signed graffiti in a community, the greater the fame for the tagger.
Some taggers have recently started to act like gang members themselves, lugging around weapons for protection against other taggers and gangs. Thus, the situation spirals further out of control.
Fighting graffiti takes vigilance and swift action. When a gang member or a tagger strikes, cities and property owners need to react in like manner, taking cleaning solutions and paintbrushes to the offending graffiti and wiping it out. The sooner that happens, the better.
Of course, communities can get overwhelmed by spikes in graffiti and their resolve may weaken. That appears to be the case for the city of Yakima. Earlier this month, the City Council ended a program that painted over graffiti on private property for free. Volunteers said they couldn't keep up with the demand.
Instead, a private property owner will receive a cleanup kit that contains a spray bottle with a pint of chemical remover that removes the graffiti without damaging the paint underneath. It also comes with steel wool and a high-pressure nozzle to wash the solvent off. The kit is free, but it's good for one time only. After that, the owner has to pay for the material.
The city will continue to battle graffiti along alleys and public infrastructure, and will still provide free paint and brushes to property owners. All they have to do is ask.
The real question is this: Will private property owners step forward and take responsibility for wiping out the graffiti? That simply has to happen. We are all in this battle together. There are no free rides or, in this case, free "paint overs." Each resident needs to roll up his or her sleeves and join in the fight. Graffiti needs to be dealt with the next day, not the next month. If left alone, it will only fester and breed more graffiti. Taggers will be emboldened. We cannot let this happen.
Painting over graffiti is mandatory. So are block watches and good outdoor lighting to dissuade late-night taggers from leaving their mark. Neighbors need to help others down the block to clear the area of all graffiti. This is the time to pull together, not fall apart.
The city may have contributed to the problem, though, by turning a blind eye to graffiti on private property. Sometimes a stick helps to get the message across. For more than five years, the city has had on its books an ordinance that carries a $400 fine for property owners who fail to clean up graffiti. But it hasn't been enforced.
Of 1,241 complaints about graffiti that were filed with the city's code enforcement department from 2003 to 2007, only one citation was issued to a property owner who refused to clean up.
What kind of message does that send? Private property owners must take action, too. If we take pride in our community, we must demonstrate that each day, not when it's convenient.
Wiping out graffiti is never convenient, but it's a visible way of telling taggers and gang members this simple message: You're no longer welcome here.
* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.
for you editors. could it be because when warned they paint it out rather than face the fine!
Report Violation"The city will continue to battle graffiti along alleys and public infrastructure, and will still provide free paint and brushes to property owners"
And who owns the damaged property in and along the alleys? PRIVATE OWNERS DO. So what good is this little crumb thrown to the people.
Talk about your "unfunded mandates". Until the city can pass effective ordinances that allow police to catch, (but they fear ACLU threats of lawsuits) and prosecute taggers adequately, we shouldn't have to pay the bill. If it is a community shared problem, then the community should pay for it, not a few individuals who continually get hit time and again on the same walls. A person can only be hit so many times and then they just quit getting up. Same with this.
I suppose we could just paint every building and vertical surface with beige "Kilz" primer. At least then, your buildings and fences would be easier to paint over and not look like patchwork quilts. We would also look like a city in Russia - all the same colors.
By the way, you are deluded if you think that graffiti happens only at night or in the wee hours. Anytime before or after school is the time I notice the new "artwork" in my neighborhood. That is why all the curfews in the world won't help this problem. But it MIGHT help with the gang problem, though.
Could it be that a lot of the slum landlords on the
east side and others walk right into a tenants home
to check for "cleanliness"anytime they want if the renter
does not have legal status, so it's easier for them not to let their
kids in until 10:00 at night so there will not be a mess.
When the owner cannot put up a fence or keep graffiti
off and they lose their property who ends up with it?
Perhaps the new ruling forcing Yakima to reveal property
records will shed some light on this.
Is it possible that there are some land barons forming
that don't want it revealed?
I'm starting to think maybe there should be a universal symbol worn by taggers to identify them. Maybe something like dual full-arm and hand casts for the first time they are caught. If done properly we could avoid the overhead and delays of police, courts, etc.
Not sure about second offenses, still working on that one. I'm assuming it's too early to be thinking of bounties.
Perhaps when minors are caught tagging property; that the parents should be thrown into jail along side their kid. Or if a gang members is caught and being a minor. The parent be thrown in jail with them. It is the parents responsibility. Then if these parents cannot control their child; turn them into the juvenile authorities. So many parents do not care what their children are doing.
Report ViolationWe have given up when we continue to be served on
an unappetizing plate the likes of the city manager
and police chief. When a man follows a female officer
all over the coutry and harrasses her in a disgustingly
petty manner, and then has the audacity of going after a
well respected long-time senior police officer than it is time to call on the handlers of these men {because it is
obvious that the are just puppets} get out your zoo
keepers chair and whip and get your monstrous
creations back into their cages. If you cannot do
that then locate them to a mental hospital where they
can get 24/7 shock treatments along with their goofy
shrink that the city uses to slander honest policemen.
Just make a cardboard cutout of the shrink, the chief, and
the city manager and lean it against the wall of their
offices and we'll get by. If you don't think so, just watch.
Grafitti is an outer symbol of an inner problem. I know
it's upsetting to people, but I can't even get a good nights
sleep after the woman in a corrections uniform impersonated
a police officer a week ago. Maybe I'm melodramatic and
nobody cares about sleeplessness. At dusk I decide to
walk to the quikstop for a hot chocolate to relax. As I cross
the alley I notice a pile of World War II memorabelia stacked on top of a dumpster. I
glance quickly at a blow up Adolf Hitler model and tuck it
under my arm.
Returning to my apartment it's almost bedtime and I start
to blow it up. Hearing gun shots outside, I glance away
and when I look back I see that it has been over blown up.
With it's little mustache and belly stretch taut it looks
a great deal like Sam Granato. I toss it in the corner and
go to bed.
Sometime in the night I awaken to find I have sleep walked
and have my hands clenched tightly aroung the dummy's neck.
Suddenly there is a loud gurgling sound and then the
sound of a large whoopy cushion and the eyes of the dummy
pop all the way out. With that I gain a complete release and fall off in a deep relaxing sleep.
The next morning I stare at the flacid pile of plastic
and wonder why a chubby Hitler reminded me so much of Granato? Was it because of the sudden, venomous move on
one of our finest Officers because of his tender move to
protect an innocent child or was it because it reminded me of Hitler's
sudden move on the Officers of Poland? Why go after our best and brightness? Why did my insomnia
dissappear while abusing the @#$% thing?
If I could just get the name of the physchiatrist who
examined Jeff Brownsfield and determined that he had physchosis from a physical injury ten years before. What
a great medical mind. I would so like to meet a great
genius like that. Perhaps he could think of someway to
help me sleep. Perhaps if I sign I statement that I never
saw a jail personel woman impersonating a cop he would declare me sane. What power!! The power to drive you insane and then declare you sane. How thrilling!
Or perhaps I will meet him? Could my IP address me tracked?
What if someone found me with the Hitler dummy blown up to
look like Granato? Is this how the paranoia started with
the Nazi's? Could I be followed by mental health workers. What is a mental health worker? Is the city's shrink a mental health worker or is he a doctor. What is his name? Is his license in good standing? Does he expect it to remain in good standing? Why is he hiding? Or at least
not going by any name or does he merely sort of think of himself as a god and names and licenses are unimportant?
I simply can't stand the suspense and must find out who he
is?
Could I be tracked? Could my door be kicked in? If so will
it be a strong leg with a muscular thigh or will it be a limp leg with a flacid thigh? Will it be Sam Granato's leg?
Can Sam kick in a door? Did Schneider ever ask him? Can we find out? Am I the only one who wants to know?
"Could I be followed by mental health workers?"
Wimp, both your comments prove how sick you must be. yes, you should perhaps be followed by mental health workers. If I were Chief Sam, I would be looking to this newspaper to see who is so enraged as to make not-so-veiled threats of bodily harm on him. Please, seek help.
Reading the Sam Granato gaffs sorta tells me he is doing his job. When ever you have so many lawsuits filed against a police chief; it tells that Sam is doing such an excellent job that he has the union in an uproar. I find it very interesting when these police officers cannot stand up on their own two feet and have to hide behind their union! Go Granato !!!!! I hear all over the Yakima valley that the large majority is backing you Sam ! Keep up the great work!
Report ViolationNick,
That is ridiculous. Writing is a form of artistic
expression. People burn effigies in the street without any humor and it is legal. "Not so veiled threats of bodily harm". "Should be followed by mental health workers". Has it really come
to this in Yakima? Is it legal for a mental health
work or workers to follow someone because they blogged that they couldn't get to sleep after an encounter with a person
impersonating a cop? Is that the sort of thing our city's
shrink did to the officers who complained about the Chief? Was complaining taken to be an attempt to overthrow the dictator of Yakima? And why do we not have this cowardly shrink's name? Is he even a doctor? Did he take part in harrassing these cops, as you seem to think that is a normal thing to do for mental professionals. Do you realize that is a felony in the state of Washington? What have our finest law enforcement officers suffered at the hands of this disgusting man we call our police chief? And how much longer can we keep silent? Would a normal police chief try to get someone's
IP address because someone joked that an overblown Hitler
doll resembled him? You would advise him to do that? Does he take advice from you or are you actually him? Do you think that Sam has nothing more
to do with his time than that? Don't you feel a bit ashamed at your over-sensitivity? It's called free speech Nick, and yes,it's even legal here in Yakima. And I noticed you have no
care for our Captain Light who finds himself harrassed because he stood up for a child! What decent person wouldn't? Don't you realize by your stupid blog that you have discredited yourself completely.
Can't you see that our police chief already looks so ridiculous in the eyes of the people and especially his
men? When will we be rid of him? Oh, oh, I suppose you going to construe that as a threat on his life?
Should Sam or his mental health doctor be after me because
of the chubby Hitler doll or because I made thinly veiled references to a FLACID thigh {I did say thigh didn't I, I better make sure} unable to kick a door in? I also noticed you don't seem to in the slightest concerned
about a person impersonating a cop. Do you think this is
how Hitler's Germany started? Brownshirts or should I say Brown nosers squelching free speech? Or are you saying that
a reference to a fat Hitler is so similiar to the countenance of our illustrious Chief that therefore it becomes the same thing? What are you trying to say, Nick, or what exactly are you trying to get me not to say? Do you know? Do you want to know? Do you care? Will you check out my politcal satire page when it is up? Or if my
cartoons resemble Sam or you saying any humorous assault
or whatever in a charicature would be grounds for arrest?
Do you know Hitler arrested artists who made fun of him or even had a different point of view. Perhaps I should make a cartoon of myself choking the Hitler/Granato doll. Would a normal person see that as an assualt? A humorous cartoon? Where did you study polical science? Are there actually mental health workers watching this blog or are they just riding around with fake cops waiting for the right moment to make a citizen's arrest? Would you then rush to your phone confident that you finally had valuable evidence and have one less person objecting to you point of view? Do you realize how pitiful you are? What are you afraid of? Have you ever impersonated a cop? Do you know what political satire is?
Do you really think I'm sitting here in fear? In the eyes of the people reading this, you have now made yourself just as pitiful as Sam Granato. Grow up Nick, and stop making Yakima out to look like some kind of nut case town. Once Zais and Granato are gone we will bring prosperity back and tiny, tiny people like you will not be able to stop us.
Nick, I'm thinking of calling my satire page "Sam's
World". {I wonder what the word "satire" is derived from}. Also, I think I'll have a fine arts page devoted to military art. One thing I think the public has always wondered about is what Hitler's bunker looked like when they found him. But I think I'll change it in the paintings and show the Allies finding him alive. We can then see what Hitler was doing, what he was reading, and what kind of pictures he had hanging on the wall, etc. Anyone flying off the handling about Hitler resembing anyone in particular could then be safely diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and the city's mysterious fake female cop and fake shrink could have a bonafide collar which should satiate their lusts for an hour or two.
I hope you'll join me their as there will be a blog with absolutely no censoring and perhaps we'll get to know you better. Do you like military art? Unfortunately it can get a bit gory. Will that incite you do demand immediate arrest? Are you a wanna be cop? Is that why you won't stick up for the real cops? Has sam promised you a job? Have you been busted several times for drugs and still have a "clean record"?
And, heh, how about doing some pictures about the Nuremburg trials? How about using local public figures as models. Of course features would be changed slightly to protect their identities. Didn't the Nazi's little by little strip the Jews of all their rights? But it happened over a period of time like in Yakima. Wasn't it frequently that the Nazi's lusted for their possessions? What was theirs. Sometimes what was most precious to them? What is most precious to most people, most families?
Would this upset Sam? Is he fragile emotionally? Does he have emotions? Is he really so similiar to Hitler that most people would think he could run out and pick up an artist for painting a picture? Does thinking a overblown Hitler dummy resembled him show a persecuting person or a person who has been persecuted? How can a police officer put up with it? They go on a domestic dispute call, they're by themselves, the perp looks wild, and then suddenly Sam's nutty shrink shows up with a carload of Hill Billy's with notepads to observe him or her. Is this possible how are officer's are being harrassed. Does the city's "shrink" enjoy harrassing cops? Do most people think Sam is capable of it? What do you think? Why does the problem center around police trying to help children? Is this Sam's sore spot? What does Zais think? Why is he so "overconfident" acting at council meeting? Does he have a split personality? Is he in the midst of a total break down off camera?
Are people aware that in Yakima we have an Arab operated a quik stop store who recently did time for selling guns to local gang bangers? Do they know the grand Mufti collaberated with Nazi's. Is this Nazism what is going on in Yakima? Truthfully, if that @#$% doll hadn't of kept on blowing up I would never have thought of this.
Because Sam's operation inspires someone to render the Nuremberg trials, should the artist be incarcerated?
wimp - it would be good to do all your posting on your own page you mention. Then, we wouldn't be subject to your weird rage-fueled thought processes. You truly don't know how scary you really are. You are really hung up on the nazi thing. take your Hitler-doll fantasy-thing with you. What kind of "stuff" are you taking, or smoking, or shooting?
ART?
NOT EVEN!
Nick
I'm beginning to see the picture. You're one of the
Yakima informants who think people should be arrested
for something like an "energy" supplement
while you are more than likely consuming hard drugs. What would we do without people like you? And I suppose you think that someone like Mike Costello, who has been at the helm of this lunatic druggie informant business will protect police officers now that he is union rep? Or is he the one encouraging you with all you blathering? Could I be arrested for even saying this? No Would you want me to? Yes
Is that
why you went absolutely crazy about something like saying a
fat hitler doll looked like Sam? I'm physchotic?
You have not even said one thing good about our heroic police officers. Can you imagine how hard it is for them to do their job? Especially when they have to treat with repect Costello's mealy mouthed doper informants. You're stupid blogs really aren't even worth responding to. Do you
think you can just attack people on blogs and then it can become a solo thing? Pitiful
Nick
I suppose you want to just run me off the blogs so that you can then slip in your suave comments about how wonderful Sam is and his 60% approval raiting which even you don't believe.
Well Nick the days of your successful propaganda campaign against truth and justice in Yakima are over.
Not being able to see humour about the fat Hitler thing is really getting uptight. And if you can't see how Yakima
is really sick and ailing, God help you. Nazis got into South America. Whose to say that Sam isn't a tool for them and maybe doesn't even know it?
Who runs Yakima anyway? It seems like they tout constantly how they want to help the poor, esp. the migrants, then the money that's for them get's scarfed up in a hog fest and only a dribble reaches who it's supposed to. Zais and Sam don't run Yakima, who does? I think they're just tools. Maybe they've been compromised. You kinda seem to be a tool of someone, too. Getting so upset about the Hitler thing and saying that it was an thinly veiled attempt on our police chief life was bizzare. Don't you see how strange that must have looked to must people. Until then you seemed like a normal person, now you seem sort of brainwashed. Who is your control?
I think that an inteligent person such as yourself could sincerely come out with a notion that that was a crime, in a nutshell describes to a tee what is wrong with Yakima.
And Nick nobody believed your drivel about the police chief being so rock solid you have destroyed what little credibility you had and there is no reason to stay on this blog unless you are masochistic.
Watch and see what happens on this. Now we have a Police Captain who is claiming harrassment and he will be represented by , are your ready for this one Nick, he will be represented by the Teamsters? It won't be some greasy little wimp like Mike Costello. I'd say Sam went a little too far on this one.
Oh, and one more thing about Nazis--it's known that they were perverts.
Nick
Have you looked at the face of this man Granato's been harrassing? Do you know Capt Light? Why are you on the wrong side? Do you not think that there will be some complete eruption of violence and rioting if any unfairness should befall this man? Where are your priorities and your morality? Do you not realize that, no matter what color or race, deep in their heart the patrolmen and women of Yakima know that Sam Granato cares nothing for them.
Get a picture of Capt. Light. Google the old PALS sight and it will come up. And then just look at that face and tell me what sort of perverted monster would have the balls to harrass a lawman like that. And yes I get enraged, and yes choking the Hitler doll who reminded me of Sam got me a good nights sleep. So, just for you I threw the Hitler doll out but I still become enraged when I think the a law enforcement officer of the slimiest ilk could even think of approaching with any disrepect a lawman like Captain Light. And do you actually believe Rummel committed suicide? Are we going to hear something like that about Jeff Brownsfield?
The web page will be for potraits and charicatures. Probably the first charicature will be of Jeff Schneider.
Are you going to go nuts and rant and rave about art also?
Why don't you provide a photo for a charicature yourself. I bet a lot of people would like to see you.
Nick...I suggest you go follow your own "advise" because you should go on your own site and do what you do best...talk smack about everyone else but yourself. Sometimes your comments make me think that you're part of the neo-nazi gang...because all your comments are racist. Maybe you should be seeing a psychiatrist... I wouldn't be surprise if my comment gets removed because the 'informant, who got his feelings hurt (I won't mention his name, but you know who that person is) will turn me in....crying like a baby.
Report ViolationOh please? Nick show his face? He hides behind his computer playing judge and jury with anyone that isn't white. Makes me wonder if he even has a job....probably living on social security or unemployment...because he doesnt' want to work picking cherries or work at a fast food restaurant...
Report ViolationOh please? Nick show his face? He hides behind his computer playing judge and jury with anyone that isn't white. Makes me wonder if he even has a job....probably living on social security or unemployment...because he doesnt' want to work picking cherries or work at a fast food restaurant...
Report ViolationPretty brave when you are using a pseudonym. The old "Sticks and stones" verse applies here. I like Chief Sam's approach to running the police department. I don't like unions - gives rise to people like wimp and 1mgh. They have outlived their primary purpose. I know every person you have named. I actually like them all. I won't justify your diatribe with side-taking, except that Sam is the Chief, and while he is in that position, he should be able to run his department as he sees fit, just like the boss in any other business or agency. If certain employees don't like the management style of their boss, they can quit and work somewhere else. You two are frothing at the mouth over nothing. It is not good to hate so much. And, it is clear that you hate whatever it is you don't agree with, or whoever doesn't agree with you. Your vitriol for me is proof of your shallow thinking, and is completely against what you say you would like to see in others.
Choking you Hitler doll? Good Lord! it sound like that isn't ALL you've been choking, wimp.
Be my guest - hate away. That is YOUR problem, not mine. Practice what you preach - I do. And, I don't hide behind my computer, but you hide behind phony names.
I thought this article was about graffiti. It seems to have turned into being about Nick, with two of you anyway. You have just made my point for me by your continued poisonous comments, not about the article, but about what you think you know about me - which is absolutely nothing - and you've just proven it in spades. HAHAHAHA!
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
Proves how much you THINK you know about me - I happen to really like your Capt. Light. I hope he gets it worked out, but it is difficult to sue your employer and keep a job if it isn't proven that the City, or the Chief were civilly liable.
What would YOU do if YOU were a boss and an employee sued you for doing your job?
Contrary to your diatribe and misplaced notions, I am actually very PRO-police. I am behind our department 150%, and appreciate fully, the work they do in the field. Too bad they can't be given enough authority to really do a number on the gang thing, which is where this whole conversation started.
I'm sure nobody sues unless they have to. Do you realize how much Zais and his cronies are capable of? In your entire life you could not even begin to imagine it. As Dick decreases, Yakima will prosper until like a puff he is gone and Yakima is restored and much wiser. It's probably something everyone has hoped for but resigned that it will never happen. He is the symbol of everything that is rotten here and symbols have power. As he shrinks and weakens in the light that glaringly will not leave him, writhing and squirming like the creature of the night he has become things will improve for all. When you are in the quick sand because of your own mistakes and you callously grab out to our men in uniform and think nothiing of dragging them with you, you have already written your own tombstone. A country has a spirit and it lives and breathes with our men at arms and a politician who forgets that deserves nothing, no sympathy, no tombstone, no grave plot, no nothing. Nothing...nothing...he will return to nothing...as my pictures will visualize. As soon as I scan one I will post it. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZAIS ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
And the serpent will be enchained for a 1000 years ZZZZ
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