there were no rules like this when she moved into an agricultural area. the fences
were barbed wire (which we found posts and remnants of as we put up the fence). in
fact the rules were you HAD to fence in livestock. and all the original inhabitants
of the area (with 2+ acres each) had high fences around their veggie gardens to keep
rabbits and deer out. they did not make provisions for those who were already here
for many years. In effect, they changed the rules (ordinances). They are
increasingly restrictive on what can and cant be done on ones own property whether or
not it can be seen by anybody. So, for example, nobody in the city can put up a
fence around their vegetables to keep the rabbits out. even wood fences must be 50%
open (careful with picket fences cause some of those wont meet specs either). and of
course, the laws are only enforced when somebody turns into a bloody Bitch.

this city has been destroyed by "developers". they had the money to buy themselves
into power and immediately started developing the abundant wetlands. they ran out of
land that passed perk tests, so they forced a sewer system onto everyone in order to
spread the cost so new construction (developers) would get a break. and everyone
pays the same no matter what the situation... elderly on fixed incomes (many had to
sell their homes of 50+ years because they couldnt afford the hookup), small house
with 1 bathroom worth 50K, huge new house with 5 bathrooms at 300K, etc. everyone
paid the same. well except for my mother with her long drive. She had to pay 40,000
to get hooked up. nobody was grand fathered in, like when the house is sold then the
sewer will be attached. the money grubbing politicians completely rewrote the zoning
laws and allowed huge homes to be built on 1/4 acres in swamps on pads. pads are
like when camping one often sees "pads" or high areas where one pitches the tent.
well these homes are built on pads that stick out into the swamps and wetlands. they
filled in other wetlands and built huge business parks... And every kind of strip
mall and chain store is there. It has become such a commercial piece of crap that
all over Wisconsin people fight development citing Brookfield of an example of
development gone totally insane. People who built on land years ago that had good
perk for their own sewers, and were forced onto city sewer have had raw sewage backed
up into their basements for the first time since the houses were built. The city
doesnt pay to have their houses decontaminated. oops. sorry. The roads are flooded
in heavy rains since the water has no where to go from all the in filling and the
acres and acres of concrete. It has become an ugly, horrible city. Of course, now
the mayor and her henchmen the developers are gone on to other places to exploit, and
in 40 years it will be a decaying mess ready for urban renewal. There are already
empty stores from over building.

And there is my mother, a peasant from Yugoslavia who came to this country at 8, went
thru school to become a social worker, who's one abiding passion has been gardening
so they moved to the "country" 60 years ago so she could raise veggies but especially
flowers and make a spot of beauty. And all the neighbors would come to look at
everything flowering and she would give plants to them so they could also make
beauty. But when she was in her 70's we found she had been falling over the little
fences she put up around the flowers to keep the rabbits out (which werent working
anyway) and thought it would be safer to put up a fence around her garden area. Well
the BITCH also made her remove part of this fence too.. never mind she would have to
be standing IN my mothers front yard to see that fence. Thankfully, the city
inspectors have not required we remove the entire fence that abuts other lot lines or
cross our own (oh yes, it is illegal to put up a wire fence ANYWHERE on ones own
property). All we could do to prevent rabbits from coming in along that wild brush
area was plant little pine trees and surround each one with circles of mesh fencing..
which just happen to touch. Because just inside that area my mother has put in a
nature walk with wild flowers under the heavy trees and between the lichen and moss
covered boulders they put there when they built the house.
Rules should make sense. They should have a very damn good purpose and they should
not be applied arbitrarily. If these "laws" were so damn important, so damned
necessary for the "general good" why not fund "fence police" to go around making sure
everyone was in compliance? Why not publish these "very important new laws" so
everyone DOES know about them. Because sure as hell having rules that no one knows
about, that people routinely break or even ignore leads to complete contempt for law.
Ingrid

"Warren" wrote:
Let me see if I get this straight. Ignorance of the law is an excuse? Or
the rules your mother broke weren't in black and white on paper? Or if
the local government doesn't have you sign a piece of paper that you've
read and understand all the applicable rules, laws and ordanences, they
shouldn't apply to you.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.