One’s man trash is rarely another man’s treasure; it’s a community’s problem.

Adams County leaders are in a tough spot — stuck between a rock and a garbage place. County leaders recognize the community has a few inhabitants that are truly dirt bags in the most literal sense.

Littering continues to be a big problem along county roads and in the rural bayous and gullies. From fast-food bags to bed frames and even the kitchen sink, our county tends to be trashed up by what we believe to be just a few folks who continually think it’s OK to create a dumpsite wherever is convenient for them.

But how in the world can you stop fools from throwing trash out on public roads?

The problem is one facing government on many, many levels: How does government try to legislatively enforce morals and behaviors that citizens never learned from their moms and dads?

Sadly, the answer probably is, you can’t.

But what you can do is educate the law-abiding among us on how best to report such behavior when they see it. Then, supervisors and the public can pressure law enforcement investigators and the court system to treat the cases seriously. Let’s increase fines and perhaps offer even bigger rewards for those who turn in litterbugs.

When supervisors finally stop subsidizing residential trash pick-up, perhaps some of the subsidizing funds could be directed at resolving the illegal dumping problems.

Littering is as serious as stealing in our minds, as it’s stealing the clean environment and enjoyment of our community’s beauty away from all of its residents and visitors.

But unfortunately, until the criminals responsible are prosecuted aggressively, they’re likely to continue their trashy ways.