Are the Eco Police Coming for You? Philly Fines People For Not Recycling

A Philadelphia man is fighting a $50 fine after the recycling police went through his garbage recently and found a single plastic bottle mixed in with the trash.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, here’s how it all went down...

[Kevin] Stutler, 35, of East Mount Airy, a vegetarian, an organic gardener... was headed to the airport. He was going to Ohio to help his wife take care of her grandmother, who had just had several strokes.

Before he left,  Stutler dragged his recycling in the usual blue bin to the curb, but, not wanting anyone to steal his garbage can while he was away, he put the rest of his trash in a bag.

Walking to the car, he came across a crushed soda bottle that had been tossed into the street and a gift that someone's dog had left on the sidewalk. Using a scrap of cardboard, he scooped up the poop, tossed it along with the bottle into the trash, tied up the bag, and drove away.

A week later, when he returned, he found a ticket wedged into the wrought iron of his front door. A code violation carrying a $50 fine. "Recyclables not separated from rubbish."

This guy did the right thing by picking up trash from the street, but his good deed turned into a $50 fine. I guess he should have just left the bottle in the street.

Stutler is a vegetarian, a former soil scientist for an environmental cleanup company, a home composter and avid recycler. Before moving to Philly He maintained a 20 acre organic farm in Oregon and even got a state grant to rehabilitate three acres of wetland as habitat.

This guy impacts the planet far less than the average Joe, yet he’s being punished. Why is it that somebody that’s already environmental conscious is one of the people being targeted by the eco-police? The simple answer is, money.

The eco-police. Always on their high horses.

Here’s more from the Enquirer.

Since the 1990s, the city has been ticketing people for not recycling, but under Mayor Nutter, enforcement has intensified.
 
In 2005, 13,000 citations were issued. In 2009, it shot up to 33,000. And that was only January through July because last summer, the $25 fine was doubled and Council voted to give citizens a six-month warning before they were hit with the tougher consequences.

Between January 2010, when the $50 fine went into effect, and July, the enforcers have written 6,000 tickets for recycling violations.

Officially known as streets and walkways education and enforcement officers, the enforcers are trained to look for recycling containers. "If they don't see one, they're prompted to go through the trash. And if they see materials in there that should have been recycled, they issue a citation."

As someone who supports recycling efforts and incentives for protecting the environment, I have to say I’m pretty cheesed off by this story. The environmental argument doesn’t hold water here. In my view, the best way to encourage people to change their habits is to lead by example, which this guy is doing.

We’re all forced to make real world choices every single day. It can be a real challenge. We’re faced with choices about food, transportation and energy consumption. That’s why it’s vitally important to educate and lead by example. Especially around family, friends and coworkers. The goal is to educate, not confront.

Fining someone for not recycling is the wrong way to go. It will never get them to think about the choices they make as consumers. Forcing people to recycle gives them a false sense that maybe they’re doing enough just by separating paper from plastic.  But it does nothing to address the issue of over-consumption in our society. Many Americans already feel threatened by the idea that there are people out there advocating for a less consumer driven lifestyle. Fining those people will only deepen their resentment. Forcing people to do things only perpetuates the “us versus them” mentality many average folks have with the environmental movement.

Some argue that Philadelphia’s effort is just an attempt to raise money for the city, but even the economic argument doesn’t add up. One of the commentors to the original Enquirer article points out...

"Math problem here kids: So 46 enforcers wrote 6000 tickets @ $50 a pop in 6 months. That would be $300,000. OK, so say these 46 enforcers were paid $8.00 per hour during that 6 month period. That adds up to $382,720. If they get paid more than $8.00 per hour (most likely), you can do the math. Also, 5000 tickets by 46 enforcers in 6 months would be an average of less than 1 ticket per day per enforcer."
 
Forcing people to recycle will only discourage them for taking an additional steps toward reducing their impact on the planet. There’s no quicker way to turn someone off then by telling them they should or they have to do something.

I’d love to know what you think. Should cities fine people for not recycling? What do you think is the best way to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle?

Facebook Only: Should Your Business Ditch the Website and Go Strictly Social Media?

Last night a web designer friend called me, seemingly ready to quit the business. A long time client is thinking of scrapping the traditional website and using Facebook as their only online presence. This client caters to the younger generation and they hope that by going Facebook only they can generate more credibility with that age group.

My friend the web designer was understandably upset. A trusted client was ready to abandon the work he’d done on their website over the years. I can understand his frustration. Going Facebook only is a bold but risky move.

Does the business have the content and social media strategy to pull it off? Can they offer up enough consumable content that will keep people coming back... and sharing the Facebook page with their friends?

This particular business sells to the high school crowd, but their product isn’t cheap. That means most purchases are actually made by parents. And many parents don’t have a Facebook page. They don’t want to be bothered by creating an account, or inputting personal information just to see a potential product.

Social media is a great tool to add to your marketing tool kit. But it can’t be the only one you use. That would be like a contractor deciding he’s going to try and build a house using nothing but a screwdriver. In my opinion, Facebook fan pages aren’t comprehensive enough to facilitate all the different types of marketing strategies a business should be using.

Content has to come first.

You can’t expect results from social media if you go into it half-heartedly. You only have once chance to make a first impression. If you aren’t offering up usable content people won’t come back.

To generate traffic, you have to set yourself apart by making your business an authority. Find ways to answer the questions your potential customers have. Offer up insider deals. Create a forum where potential customers can gather to give you their input. Find ways to give them content they’ll want to share with their online friends.

Friends and fans don’t translate into results. Teenagers are fickle. They get distracted easily. They might start out as a fan at first, but unless you offer info they can use and that keeps them engaged, you’re never going to get them to buy.

Every business should have a Facebook fan page. It’s a necessity these days, especially when targeting the younger crowd. But you can’t alienate the rest of your potential customers. They need to have multiple ways to find your product.

So I told my web designer friend to rest easy. He’s not obsolete yet. He still has a few more years left before Facebook officially takes over the world.

Facebook circa 2012

Geico, Progressive Insurance and Flo: Why Do Car Insurance Companies Have Such Annoying Ad Campaigns?

I wonder if the actress from the Progressive commercials is getting hate mail by now. She seems like a nice young lady, but those commercials have got to be one of the most annoying advertising strategies ever developed. Worse than nails on a chalkboard, more like tiny insects boring their way straight into your frontal lobe.

I’m not sure who came up with the campaign, but they need to be severely punished. None of that nancy-boy water boarding, I’m thinking iron maiden level torture or worse.

Maybe they should be locked in a room with this ad running on a loop.

The number one migraine-inducing aspect of those commercials is just the shear volume of them. There are so many... and they run all the time. You can’t turn on the TV without seeing a Progressive commercial. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or what channel you’re watching. Jump around and you’ll find at least half a dozen Progressive commercials waiting for you down the dial. It really has gotten out of control.

The first few may have been cute. Now I’m thinking about having my cable shut off. Every time I turn on the set, that perky abomination is there. I would walk out of any insurance office if the agents acted even remotely like Flo.

But it’s the other people I really don’t like: the potential customers. I can’t relate to them. Like the guy that gets way too excited and starts shouting about discounts. I don’t trust that guy. He seems like the type that’s holding on to a lot of pent-up anger. He’s likely to snap and plow his car into an intersection full of school children. I don’t think that’s a claim Progressive wants. The commercials make me question their judgement.

But it’s not just Progressive. Car insurance companies are everywhere. State Farm, All State, Nationwide, eSurance, Safe Auto, the General, Geico. Who is buying up all this insurance? I mean really, how many people are looking for car insurance at any given time. If you went by the ads you’d think it’s a commodity more consumed than milk.

I don’t see how these companies justify the results of these marketing campaigns?

This thing should be watching ad executives.

Geico has three or four different themes and they’re all annoying. The caveman thing hasn’t been relevant since Rick-rolling was still vogue. I’m just flat-out confused by the money with the eyeballs. The Gecko would have been snatched up and eaten by a hawk a long time ago if he’s as well traveled as he’s portrayed in the ads. I’m starting to think he might not really even work for Geico. He might just be an actor.

The reason I don’t like this commercials is because, at least for me, they send mixed messages. They make me question the company’s leadership, competence and professionalism.

Don’t let your potential customers do that. Humor in an ad campaign is good. But don’t make your brand the butt of the joke. You believe in your product and want people to know how great it is. Don’t give them a chance to question it.

When was the last time you heard the name Coca-Cola and pictured the folks sitting in the board room.

Coca-Cola's Boardroom, c. 1931 - 2 years after going Cocaine free!

Skewering the competence or direction of your company, brand or leadership is generally a losing bet, even if you’re going for self-deprecating humor. You can’t trust that people will get it. And that’s a bad message. You might get people talking about your brand, but that doesn’t always translate to sales.

Chris Vanasdalan is a freelance writer who has a love-hate relationship with TV commercials. He doesn't really think bad ad executives deserve to be tortured, just fired.

You can follow him on Twitter or e-mail him here.

I Want You Back Too DirecTV, But We Just Can't Be Together

Dear DirecTv,

It’s nice to hear from you and I’m glad you’re doing well. Things are good here too. But please, you can’t keep contacting me like this. Look, I know we had a great relationship and I really enjoyed the time we spent together. You taught me a lot about myself. If fact you taught me how to love. I never knew how wonderful TV could be until you came along.

Believe me when I say that I want you back too, but our relationship is over for now. You’ve got to comes to grips with that. I have. I’ve moved on to another home entertainment provider. I know they aren’t as good for me as you were, but there’s nothing I can do right now. This is the way it has to be. The long distance thing just can’t work. I don’t have a clear view of the southern sky so I can’t receive your beautiful satellite signal the way I used to. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but we have to move on with our lives.

Focus on your current customers. Give them the love and affection you showered on me. Maybe someday we’ll be able to get back together, when I’m ready to love again, but not right now. Please stop sending me offers to come back to you. It’s just too painful.


Sincerely,

Chris Vanasdalan

P.S. - Thank you for the Christmas card. It was very thoughtful.

I’m Gonna Be Me: Playing it Safe Just Isn’t Working

I’ve been having a tough time coming up with content for my blog lately, and I think it’s really starting to hurt my overall writing skills. I need to be honest with myself. I’m a writer. That’s what I’m best at, and that’s what I need to be focused on. Everyday.

I’ve been stressing over ways to create useful and easily consumable content. But I’m letting the quest for perfect content get in the way of my overall talents. In fact I’ve been writing nothing but crap. And surprise, surprise, people don’t like reading crap. And because I’ve been writing crap, I’ve been writing less, which leads to more crap.

It’s not like I’ve run out of things to write about, I’ve just been scared to be myself. I’ve been too focused on vanilla topics, regurgitating stuff I’ve read in books about marketing, or social media techniques, or advertising. But I’m not an expert in any of those fields and I don’t want to pretend I am.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what sets me apart. And I keep coming back to the same premise. What makes me different is.... me. The way I think is what sets me apart. My sarcastic and often cynical view of the world is essentially the ingredient that gives me spice. I feel like a chef with a really tasty secret sauce, but I’m afraid to use it in my cooking because I’m worried customers won’t like it. But nobody likes food with no flavor.

Finding my voice has been hard since I’ve gone full-time freelance. I can’t be afraid to admit that. I’m a big believer in evaluating my own weaknesses, but I’ve been spending so much time worried about what I don’t do well that I’ve been ignoring my strengths.

I’ve spent most of my professional life as a journalist and reporter, and that’s what I’m going to get back to. I’m giving myself permission to write about anything and everything I feel is important. Personal stuff, politics, environmental issues, local events, food, opinion. Nothing is off limits.

I know that developing a following starts with good content. Right now I’m just not producing. So from now on, I’m going to write as much as possible and let readers decide.

I can’t be afraid to express my opinion simply because I might turn off a few potential clients. The goal isn’t to alienate people or to stir up controversy, but my opinions are one of my greatest strengths, and I have to leverage what I do best.

I can’t keep making excuses for why I’m not coming up with fresh content. I can’t be afraid to question things and to make people think. Playing it safe isn’t working, so maybe pushing the envelope will help me find my voice and generate good content people actually want to read.

Fleas

Edwin the Ape sat perched high in his tree,
Out on a limb, hidden in leaves.
A spot where he went while he scratched and he wheezed.

He pulled at his hair and he fell to his knees.
He was starting to worry he might be diseased.

He rubbed himself silly on the limbs of the trees,
but nothing he did could make his pain ease.

He flopped and he hopped, he jived and he dropped,
but nothing would free him from all those darn fleas.

Edwin twitched and tweaked, his breath heavy and short.
He needed relief and help of some sort.

The perch that he loved now a place of despair.
Here he was dancing, high in the air.

But soon came some hope, a chance of some sort.
Down dropped a friend, his old Uncle Mort.

Mort picked off the fleas, eating them one-by-one.
For Edwin the Ape, relief had finally come.

It’s good to have friends to help with your needs,
especially when you’re itchy and covered with fleas.

Speaking out Against “Speaking Out:” A News Writer’s War on Buzz Words

I got laughed at the first time I brought a Thesaurus into a TV newsroom. Not just chuckles, but loud guffawing that came deep from the bellies of my new colleagues. See, I’d spent most of my early journalism career writing for newspapers and magazines, and I was eager to bring some fresh language to local TV. Stories I’d seen on the news were full of clichéd, worn out buzz words and phrases that I found all but unwatchable. Maybe I was naïve, maybe I little brash, but darn it I was going to try to spruce up the local news world.

I was used to working with editors so I had seen my fair share of prose hacked to bits to fit the sensibilities of the average reader. But nothing in the print world could have prepared me for the massacre my writing would fall victim to once I entered the broadcast field.

The first few days on the job I wrote in complex sentences, full of adjectives, clauses and other literary flourishes I felt the home viewer might find refreshing. But in the world of TV news you don’t answer to an editor. It’s more like a slaughterhouse, when a long line of people wait with sharpened tools, ready to slice, hack, cut, saw, and otherwise disassemble a sentence. I’ve had stories mangled, destroyed, wrecked, crushed, and dismantled in ways that don’t even begin to resemble traditional editing.

The first to take their pound of flesh is the producer. Their main concern is time. They’re under intense pressure to ramp up “story count,” essentially cramming as much watered down news into an hour as humanly possible. Just one extra sentence can derail an entire block of a show, forcing them to play catch-up for the rest of the hour.

Next to wield the ax is the Executive Producer. Their job is to read through each story checking for accuracy, consistency and overall cohesiveness, but usually they just end up chopping up a story just for the heck of it. To put their fingerprints on it so to speak. They’re also convinced that every local news viewer has the comprehension of a fourth grader and the attention span of a gnat.

Then comes the talent. In their minds they’re the last line of defense. Sometimes it’s a reporter, but more often it’s the anchors at the news desk. They ultimately have to read the story, which means they have to be comfortable with the way it’s written. That generally means cutting out even more big words. I’ve written for lots of talented anchors, but I’ve also run across a few that have a hard enough time reading the menu at the drive thru.

Here’s what I’ve found to be the general rule of thumb when writing for local news. Each story needs to fit into a 25 second window. That means about five to six sentences apiece, provided each sentence contains between six and eight words. That’s why so many local news stories don’t include relevant information, like who died in the explosion, how much money the bank robbers made off with, where the car crash happened, or whether it’s affecting traffic.

Word count isn’t the only thing handcuffing local news writers. Producers and anchors don’t just suggest you include news speak, it’s essentially mandatory. It’s all an effort to add a false sense of urgency into rather mundane stories.

I lost count of how many times phrases like "fighting back," "being called a hero," “shots rang out” and “fighting for life” were inserted into my stories by producers and anchors.

My personal pet peeve is “speaking out.” Witnesses, celebrities, football coaches and politicians are just some of the few who are always “speaking out.” That phrase really rubs me the wrong way, because it’s used so incorrectly and so often. At least for me, “speaking out” implies some sense of secrecy. I picture a brave whistle blower standing up against corporate corruption, fighting for what’s right. Or a victim of violence, summoning the strength to turn in their long time abuser.

“Speaking out” shouldn’t be used anytime anyone’s talking about anything.

You’ll hear things like, “Peyton Manning speaks out about facing a 3-4 defense.” Or “A witness speaks out about what they saw when the car crashed into a pole.”

That’s not speaking out. That’s just speaking. And it’s one of the many reasons I’m not writing for TV news anymore.