“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Edmund Burke
How common is it that the good people outnumber those with evil (selfish) intent and yet evil prevails? Your part may be a small, however, it is an important part of good winning. Step up and speak up when evil is seeking a foothold. You cannot lay aside your responsibility to act or step by step your rights slip away.
I recently was compelled to speak at a public zoning meeting where the City of Riverside was was attempting to use predatory zoning practices under the sweet sounding name of “Urban Compact” in an attempt to force citizens in my neighborhood to pay for a conversion of our properties into an office/shopping/residential complex at the home owners expense. They wanted to require any home that was sold to be brought up to a modern design and zoning standard before it could be reoccupied by it’s new owner. Silly things like selling your home or replacing the siding with siding that has specific vertical groove spacing, building shields to hide any AC units. Shielding any antenna’s from public view. Selling your home or making any repairs in excess of $5000 would trigger the “must update or destroy (refusal of occupancy permit)” zoning clause. Imagine a limb falls and damages your roof or the wind blows and you need a new roof and that the cost is over $5000. What if you have a small kitchen fire and wish to repair it? Now you have to bring your home up to the new standard or sell it to somebody willing to tear it down or make the updates to the new community shopping/office standard. The new zoning rules even included the phrase “no current building will be encouraged to continue”. Clearly, the “Urban Compact” zoning scheme was designed to bring the clinking of bulldozer tracks to me and my neighbors.
The city has made several attempts to clear out the neighborhood for development over the years. This attempt lead to so many people showing up for the zoning board meeting that it had to be moved the city garage. Good people can stand up and defend themselves, their way of life, their country and their property rights.
Don’t lay down for it, get out there and stand up for yourself and your country.
The city’s prior attempt including declaring an entire block of properties including my own as “Blighted”. Mine it was claimed should be turned over to city ownership because it had an area of cracked paint, a crack in the parking lot with a puddle after it rained. Of course they hired an “impartial” service to provide the exact report they wanted for every home and building in the block. This attempt to push people out of their homes was foiled by supreme court rulings before the city’s plan and the citizens rights could be executed.
At this same meeting, I learned of a law passed a year ago banning all signs. Even political ones. In the prior meeting minutes that were read, evidentaly the city attourny had been on hand explaining the problem of denying people free speech. Yes, it required somebody with a law degree to explain it to them.
Those that purport to be public servants over time can become arrogant and lose sight of what being a servant of the citizens is. It is required for citizens to stand up and re-adjust these attitudes from time to time. This is what elections and counsel meetings are all about. Anytime you hear a public official justifying stripping Americans of their rights for the “greater good” you know you have encountered this arrogance (or possibly worse). I can tell you absolutely without any reservation that I won’t lay down for it. Politicians responsible for these kinds of activities should be replaced regardless of party affiliations.
It might shock you to learn that I am of course in favor of the neighborhood developing. However, the right way is for the city to purchase the properties one by one and do with them what they wish. Not to use the mechanics of beurocracy to beat citizens out.
