The price of graffiti in Las Vegas is not only the eyesore but, according to the City Council member, a $30 million dollar bill on top of the tags. It's money that according to one councilman says could be “used for things like education. We can educated young people on how to do positive things.” The solution to stop the amateur Banksy-esque hooligans? Stiffer penalties.
The City Council of Las Vegas has just approved higher fines as well as community service to clean up the graffiti. If you are younger than 18, your parents will foot the bill — but if you’re older? That can of spray paint could make you find yourself doing hard time waiting for the bus. Taggers stand to lose their drivers licenses for up to two years. The tougher penalties aren’t just for the sake of punishment, but rather an easily legible plea to gangs who regularly mark their territory, to stop.
Is taking the keys to the car a fair penalty for marking up the streets?
Red Herring
Heine
Apepazza
That's actually not a bad way to go about it. The thought of being punished in that way won't stop everyone but I think it will make some rethink the joy of putting their mark on public property.
1I think if the graffiti artists are under 18, they should have to clean the graffiti, or risk going to jail, but the licenses idea is good too I guess.
2they should also take away their graffiti licenses. when i was coming up you had to hop a fence and tag up at least 5 box cars before they'd let you in. now it seems like they'll give a can of spray paint and a black hoodie to just about anyone.
3And most of the thugs who tag things are no Banksies. I don't agree with Banksy, either, but still.
4well - i think that the government feels that they have to do something to stop graffiti, but i'm not sure if this is the solution. i like that there's a penalty to doing it - since i personally don't care for it - but a lot of artists consider it their thing and their expression and i'm not sure if curbing their self expression is the way to go. maybe there's a compromise of allowing for a certain area of town to have it - so that it's not completely stopped...
5ilanac, I second that there should be places where it's allowed.
Overall, for places where it's not allowed, I think the license revocation is fair. Besides, public transportant isn't awful, but if anything, humbling.
I'm not sure how much I agree with the under 18, parents pay rule. Sure, the parents are somewhat responsible, but fully? A lot of this is peer pressure stuff, and frankly, in a society that forces kids to be in school at least seven hours a day and pressures both parents to work (if it's even a two parent household) to survive or have a house, etc., how responsible can the parents be? Also, what if a group of kids are associate with an incident, and some may have tagged, some may not have, some might have gotten away? How would that be divided? I think perhaps community service or mandatory participation in after-school activities would be better punishment.
6*transportation
7There are places where it's allowed... it's called your personal property. I'm an artist and I manage to keep my work on canvas... it's not so hard if you're not a punkass.
8hahah foxie, good point! seriously, you're absolutely right. 99 out of 100 of these people are like dogs peeing on a fire hydrant - they have zero artistic talent and they are doing it to be cool, fit in, assert their superiority (read: dogs), etc. so yes they should have their DLs revoked, and yes minors' parents should be responsible (most of the kids probably have no money to pay anyway). if they were going around smashing windows of businesses we wouldn't just be considering criminal penalties and fines -- this is vandalism, and it's a crime. they should be punished as if it is.
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