A Tax for T-Bones in Berlin?

On balmy summer evenings, Berlin parks do tend to look a bit messy as many barbecue fans seem to forget to clean up after themselves. Even if they do, the trash cans are bursting at the seams, creating litter heaps at regular intervals throughout the parks.

To deal with the problem, Uwe Goetze wants to introduce a barbecue tax in the city's parks. The parliamentary manager for the Christian Democrats in Berlin has proposed hiring park attendants who would collect €5 ($6.20) per grill to help the chronically broke city take care of the rubbish.

"Public authorities are left to foot the bill for waste disposal and the parks suffer," Goetze told Berlin tabloid B.Z. "A tax on grilling would change things."