Today’s St Pete Times reported that St. Petersburg officials quietly stopped providing dog waste bags at all locations except for dog parks this month.

Parks director Cliff Footlick said the bags had become an amenity he could no longer afford to provide. The city spent $48,000 on 1.7-million bags last year. Eliminating the free bags “saves me from cutting an employee,” said Footlick.

But some pet owners aren’t happy with the decision. For 10 years, residents used the free bags to keep local parks clean and abide by a city ordinance that requires owners to pick up after their dogs or face an $88 fine.

“People are going crazy over this,” said Lucy Siegler, a downtown resident and dog owner who has signed a petition demanding that the city bring back the bags. “We feel like we moved here because the service was there, and we want it back.”

What about vending machines, which would provide convienet access to bags without the theft and waste.

Although it seems more about bloated perks than smart spending or personal responsibility.