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garden police gone wild?
On Fri, 2 Apr 2004 08:47:39 -0700, "Darwin Vander Stelt"
wrote: ....but you won't be able to repaint it red... And they can then get you with one of those "run-down" laws. :/ "they" are ordinarily volunteer committees of your neighbors. Land use ordinances almost always benefit some and anger others, but the key to having the neighborhood you want is to participate. The squeaky wheels get to decide what the neighborhood looks like. You get the impression from reading some posts that some political gestapo imposes these ordinances from the top, and we little people are getting screwed. The truth is that land use planning and zoning is typically a very transparent process with lots of hearings etc. and only a few people care enough or have the time or ambition to participate. And all citizens must realize that the system is not necessarily corrupt just because their position does not prevail. The climate of "my adgenda at any price" including a willingness to lie to advance the adgenda pervades our civic life and it may eventually ruin us. Applause, applause. I have been working with (doing a web site for) a local neighborhood association. The membership is heavily weighted with participation by Los Ricos with waterfront property, and they *do* get their agenda acted upon. However,...a quarterly newsletter is distributed to 1,600 households just in advance of general meetings. At the last meeting, the attendance was 32 people, and about 150 families are voting members ($10/yr membership fee). The rest sit home and complain about changes the association has promoted or brought about. The quarterly general meetings and monthly board meetings are open to participation by anyone. Los Ricos definitely have their own interests in mind, but they *are* the ones who come to the meetings, volunteer to be on the board, do the paperwork for grants and activities, and hide the eggs and dress up in the bunny costume for the Easter Egg Hunt in the park. I did my share of complaining before I got involved. But Darwin is right. It does absolutely no good to take a 'victim' position when there are opportunities to change things through participation. |
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