Fellow Residents,
To anyone who was at the Columbia Heights City Council meeting on July 28th, you know that we (all approximately 150 of us!) were able to convince the Council that we would not stand for the passage of their proposed RIBS ordinance (Residential Inspection Before Sale). It was a victory to savor, but also bittersweet, if you read the August 13th issue of of the "Northeaster," where the Mayor and some members of the Council expressed regret over their votes, and of bowing to public pressure. Some of the comments in the "Northeaster" article, if accurate, reflect a general arrogance by those in whom we put our public trust to govern according to the Constitution and the will of We The People. That means that we will have to be vigilant, because you can be assured that this issue will rise again, in some new form or format, it being only a matter of time.
Like rust, it seems that bureaucrats never sleep. They are always looking for some way to make the government a little more intrusive in our lives, and to reach a little more deeply into our pockets.
Having said that, it has come to my attention that once again, they are trying to stick their collective nose where it doesn't belong, and this time into the time-honored tradition of the garage sale, of all things. The GARAGE sale!
Apparently, some people have problems with neighbors who seemingly are always having garage sales, and may actually be running businesses out of their garage (I guess they never heard of "Garage Logic"). I have no information regarding the accuracy of that, so I will not comment. However, the "solution" that the Council is proposing would limit residents to something like two garage sales per year at a duration not to exceed three days. This is going to be (just like with RIBS) the second reading of the ordinance, and they are expecting to pass it, without resistance, or, I assume, even comment.
Now, I commend the Council for their desire to clamp down on unabated free enterprise, being the good little Socialists that they are. However, this smacks very much like the old "one gun a month" legislation proposed by the anti-gunners. You know the drill. Nobody NEEDS to buy more than one gun a month, therefore it shouldn't be a problem. Well, I may not NEED to buy more than one gun a month. I may not even be able to AFFORD to buy more than one gun a month. Heck, I can't even AFFORD to buy more than one gun every few years, but that is NOT the point. The point is it is my RIGHT to buy as many <choose your expletive> guns as I FEEL like, and as my finances allow (and my wife will put up with <grin>), and it's NONE of the government's business!
It's the same with garage sales.
This is just more of the "incrementalism" nonsense we've seen so often, over the years. Not only are they trying to stick the camel's nose under the tent, they feel that if they attempt to do so often enough, we'll get used to it, and won't mind it when the ENTIRE camel waltzes in to say "howdy."
There are better ways to handle this "problem," if indeed, it IS a problem. How about using licensing and zoning regulations to curtail businesses that are not licensed and are operating in residential (as opposed to commercial) areas? I'd be willing to bet that they already have all the laws they need, to address this issue.
Therefore, I'm asking you, if you are so inclined (being among the type of person whom the "Northeaster" article referred to as "they distrust bureacracy"), to once again take some time out of your Monday evening, and join me in "reminding" the City Council that they are the servants of the PEOPLE, and that their job is NOT to sit around, dreaming up ever new and better ways to interfere in our lives. We probably only need about ten people, but the more, the merrier. The Council is also going to address some issues concerning LED signs that promise to cause even more havoc, so you can expect an entertaining meeting. I hope to see you there.
NOTE: Here is a link to the web page for the next meeting's agenda, and I'm sorry I don't have copies of the proposed oridinances:
http://www.ci.columbia-heights.mn.us/city_council/agenda_minutes.asp
Sincerely,
Gregory K. Sloat
Precinct 8
P.S. We should also give them a little grief for their backtracking on their vote to kill the RIBS ordinance, and to tell them that we ARE watching them.
To anyone who was at the Columbia Heights City Council meeting on July 28th, you know that we (all approximately 150 of us!) were able to convince the Council that we would not stand for the passage of their proposed RIBS ordinance (Residential Inspection Before Sale). It was a victory to savor, but also bittersweet, if you read the August 13th issue of of the "Northeaster," where the Mayor and some members of the Council expressed regret over their votes, and of bowing to public pressure. Some of the comments in the "Northeaster" article, if accurate, reflect a general arrogance by those in whom we put our public trust to govern according to the Constitution and the will of We The People. That means that we will have to be vigilant, because you can be assured that this issue will rise again, in some new form or format, it being only a matter of time.
Like rust, it seems that bureaucrats never sleep. They are always looking for some way to make the government a little more intrusive in our lives, and to reach a little more deeply into our pockets.
Having said that, it has come to my attention that once again, they are trying to stick their collective nose where it doesn't belong, and this time into the time-honored tradition of the garage sale, of all things. The GARAGE sale!
Apparently, some people have problems with neighbors who seemingly are always having garage sales, and may actually be running businesses out of their garage (I guess they never heard of "Garage Logic"). I have no information regarding the accuracy of that, so I will not comment. However, the "solution" that the Council is proposing would limit residents to something like two garage sales per year at a duration not to exceed three days. This is going to be (just like with RIBS) the second reading of the ordinance, and they are expecting to pass it, without resistance, or, I assume, even comment.
Now, I commend the Council for their desire to clamp down on unabated free enterprise, being the good little Socialists that they are. However, this smacks very much like the old "one gun a month" legislation proposed by the anti-gunners. You know the drill. Nobody NEEDS to buy more than one gun a month, therefore it shouldn't be a problem. Well, I may not NEED to buy more than one gun a month. I may not even be able to AFFORD to buy more than one gun a month. Heck, I can't even AFFORD to buy more than one gun every few years, but that is NOT the point. The point is it is my RIGHT to buy as many <choose your expletive> guns as I FEEL like, and as my finances allow (and my wife will put up with <grin>), and it's NONE of the government's business!
It's the same with garage sales.
This is just more of the "incrementalism" nonsense we've seen so often, over the years. Not only are they trying to stick the camel's nose under the tent, they feel that if they attempt to do so often enough, we'll get used to it, and won't mind it when the ENTIRE camel waltzes in to say "howdy."
There are better ways to handle this "problem," if indeed, it IS a problem. How about using licensing and zoning regulations to curtail businesses that are not licensed and are operating in residential (as opposed to commercial) areas? I'd be willing to bet that they already have all the laws they need, to address this issue.
Therefore, I'm asking you, if you are so inclined (being among the type of person whom the "Northeaster" article referred to as "they distrust bureacracy"), to once again take some time out of your Monday evening, and join me in "reminding" the City Council that they are the servants of the PEOPLE, and that their job is NOT to sit around, dreaming up ever new and better ways to interfere in our lives. We probably only need about ten people, but the more, the merrier. The Council is also going to address some issues concerning LED signs that promise to cause even more havoc, so you can expect an entertaining meeting. I hope to see you there.
NOTE: Here is a link to the web page for the next meeting's agenda, and I'm sorry I don't have copies of the proposed oridinances:
http://www.ci.columbia-heights.mn.us/city_council/agenda_minutes.asp
Sincerely,
Gregory K. Sloat
Precinct 8
P.S. We should also give them a little grief for their backtracking on their vote to kill the RIBS ordinance, and to tell them that we ARE watching them.
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