Okay, I work for the Government (with a BIG G). Part of my job is to make sure that contractors follow all the rules which our elected representatives (that is both the House and the Senate) have put into law. Many of these rules came about because somebody, somewhere, found a way to cheat the system. Others are there because a group of voters wanted to tell other people how to live. The politicians didn’t hear opposition to what was proposed so they assumed it was what everyone wanted. P&Z is a prime example of this.
And once the rules are in place, it is very hard to change or remove them. If I had my way, the Constitution would set a sunset limit on every law passed in the land of say, 25 years. Then when a law expired it would have to be looked at and voted on if it was still needed. If it was not doing what it was supposed to, or if there was overwhelming opposition to it, it would not get renewed.
Please remember that most government workers are trying to do what they were hired for. If somebody down the street from this lady called in a complaint about her garden and it violated the rules set down by the county assembly, someone from P&Z, whether they want to or not, has to tell her she is in violation and what the penalties are. I have been in that situation where I didn’t agree, but I still had to enforce the rules.
I have seen this article in other places, perhaps the city fathers will get embarrassed enough with the negative publicity to change the rules!
-WH-
