The new “Keep Iowa Beautiful” Coalition hopes to reduce litter in Iowa by 50 percent over the next three years. There are fines for littering in Iowa, but former Governor Robert Ray says the group’s focus is on Iowans’ attitudes. He says people in Iowa need to have the mindset that it is not good to liter. Ray says you can’t let the “broken window” syndrome take root. Casey’s General Stores C-E-O Don Lamberti is chairman of the “Keep Iowa Beautiful” Coalition. Lamberti says cleanliness can mean the difference when a company is scouting new areas for expansion, or tourists are passing through. “Keep Iowa Beautiful” pins with a wild rose logo are available for sale in early May at Casey’s and Hy-Vee stores, with the proceeds used for the litter-reduction project. Governor Tom Vilsack says he remembers the “Keep AMERICA Beautiful” ad launched in the 1960s. Vilsack says the coalition wants to establish “zero tolerance” for litteringoutdoors, in shopping malls, neighborhoods and movie theaters. Vilsack says governments could save money they now spend picking up litter if Iowans did it themselves. There are already local “Keep Iowa Beautiful” chapters in Scott County and central Iowa, and the group hopes several more sprout up this summer.
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