Should the government help reduce the hoarding problem?
In the January 10, 2010 Boston Globe Sunday Magazine article " When clutter turns to crisis ," Stephanie Schorow reports "hoarders’ private problems can become a public nuisance, putting neighbors and firefighters at risk and dragging down property values. Now several Massachusetts cities and towns have decided it’s time to get involved." The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States says that government is create to "promote the general welfare." Does this qualify as an appropriate role for government? According to the article: No one walking by the neatly trimmed lawn of Shirley’s home west of Boston would see anything amiss. Inside, the small living room has enough space for her son and his friends to gather around the TV for a video game, although the room is lined with plastic tubs stuffed with old board games and toys. The kitchen is another matter; the table is piled high with papers -- newspapers, magazines, documents, letters -- which s...