As usual, government-owned roads are being polluted. Allegedly it is contaminating the government-owned water. It most certainly is inconsiderate to leave dog crap on the side of the road, but we must remember that an inconsiderate person is only the immediate cause. The root cause is the public ownership of the roads. We all own it, but none of us own it. This would not be a problem on private roads—any violation of the rules would be considered trespassing.
Of course, the root problem is not understood by the police chief of Rye*. He also makes a veiled threat to dog owners, that they might lose the “privilege” to walk their dogs on the beach. Actually, dog owners pay taxes too, so aren’t they part owners of the beach? How can using your own property be considered a privilege?
The answer is that the taxpayers don’t own anything in practice, not even their homes. It’s the tax consumers, like the police chief, who claim ownership over all lands, public and private.
*Incidentally, there is a claim that bags of dog crap are tied to cars and “often fall off en route.” This is totally conceivable, but this is just hearsay, what people tell the cop. If he hasn’t seen that happen, how can he be sure that it’s the truth?
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