Garbage In Garbage Out? For One City, It’s Just Garbage In

The saying “Garbage in, Garbage out” is a common-sense principle that applies to anything. If you put bad information into a computer or a calculation, the results will not be accurate. In the same way, if bad components go into something that’s being built, the results will be underwhelming. You can’t use shoddy materials to construct a house and end up with a top-notch residence.

That said, one city has “Literally” solved the “Garbage in, Garbage out” issue, sort of. In this city, they just don’t remove the garbage. That’s right, instead of hauling the garbage away, this city has decided to allow it to pile up.

How bad is it? It’s so bad that one resident has quit his job to remove the garbage himself. That’s right: an ordinary citizen has become a cult hero for stepping up and taking matters into his own hands.

In case you haven’t guessed, the city in question is Los Angeles—the crown jewel of Gavin Newsom’s disastrous reign. Enter Juan Naula, the lone voice crying in a wilderness of filth and homeless excrement.

Waste management has become a significant issue in one of the nation’s largest cities, with homelessness contributing to the growing trash problem. Naula, who started sharing his volunteer trash cleanup efforts on social media, has attracted a following of over 56,000 people. He documents the trash he collects throughout the city and highlights others who join him in cleaning up their neighborhoods.

In an interview with KTTV on Sunday evening, Naula said the city has been inadequate in addressing the ongoing crisis and questioned why residents now have to urge the government to fulfill its responsibilities.

“I wish a million people [were] doing this, because the city doesn’t want to do it,” Naula said. “Why do we have to chase them? Why?”

Great question, the answer is two-fold: Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass.

A study conducted by the carpet-cleaning company Oxi Fresh in May found that the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area is the second-dirtiest metropolitan area in the United States, just behind New York-Newark-Jersey City. Additionally, a recent LawnStarter analysis ranked Los Angeles the second-dirtiest city in America, after San Bernardino.

Videos shared by Naula depict garbage accumulated throughout Los Angeles. These include trash bags left in grocery carts by the Los Angeles River, piles of debris along the railroad tracks, and large heaps of litter at the corners of sidewalks, all with homeless tents visible in the background.

Naula informed KTTV that even after reporting trash sites using the city’s 311 app, garbage often stays on the streets for days or even weeks. Areas that Naula has cleaned are sometimes covered in debris again just a week later. When asked about the severity of the issue, he rated it an 11 on a scale of one to ten.

“We see human poop, rats, knives. I try to call the city about three times, and they don’t come and clean. It really frustrates me because I do the job, and then I have to chase them to come and pick up the trash.”

In typical Democrat fashion, instead of physically acting on the problem, they create a diversion that makes them appear like they’re doing something. In this case, it was an app “to make it easier to access government services” for things like street repairs, street light problems, vandalism, and, you guessed it, trash removal. The “hotline” was established in 2002, and the city has ignored it ever since.

Karen Bass, the worthless mayor of LA, decided to enact a program to clean up the mass littering and homeless encampment debris. As per usual, she gave it a catchy name, “ShineLA.” However, don’t be fooled, she didn’t do this out of love for the residents or for the city itself; she did it because the Olympics, Super Bowl, and World Cup are coming there, and she was trying not to look as incompetent as the world already knows she is. Since then, volunteers have planted trees, removed graffiti, and picked up some loose litter around the city. Basically, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Despite the 311 app and the new initiative, Naula told KTTV that some local residents contact him directly to address debris in their neighborhoods.

“They are the city. They should have people riding around doing 311 reports: ‘Go clean here, go clean there.’ Whoever’s in charge, they have to train the people. Why do people come, and they don’t pick up trash?”

Illegal dumping, including construction debris and hazardous waste, has increased significantly across the city over the past year.

Crosstown is a non-profit, data-driven news organization from USC that provides hyperlocal coverage of crime, housing, and traffic in Los Angeles’ diverse neighborhoods. By using public data, Crosstown creates unique stories and newsletters that help residents understand issues specific to their areas. The organization is known for transforming complex data into accessible local journalism. Recently, it reported that District 8, which encompasses a large portion of South Los Angeles, experienced a 57 percent increase in reported incidents at the start of the year.

According to the data, the district recorded 3,329 illegal dumpings between January and February. In comparison, there were only 2,118 illegal dumpings during the same months in 2024. Along with the increase in District 8, District 6, which encompasses parts of East Los Angeles, has seen a 60 percent rise. District 15 has increased by 39 percent, while District 13 has risen by 31 percent.

The latest figures from Crosstown reveal a significant increase in reports of illegal dumping. From July to September 2024, there were 32,145 reports, a 22.8 percent increase from the previous three-month period. In total, 95,732 illegal dumping reports were filed in 2023.

City officials are addressing the 9,800 homeless encampments, including tents, makeshift shelters, and RVs, as the June 2026 deadline approaches, amidst criticism of Bass’s ineffective initiatives.

According to the Los Angeles Times, despite Bass’ renewed efforts, the Bureau of Sanitation is experiencing a significant shakeup as the new year approaches. Barbara Romero, the bureau’s top official, announced in October that she would leave the agency this month after four and a half years of service.

Romero’s departure doesn’t seem like a significant loss. She obviously wasn’t that effective in her position, or people wouldn’t have to quit their jobs to clean up trash. Too bad she couldn’t take Bass with her, then the city could have really said, (wait for it)

“Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish”