One good thing about my persistent poverty is that I'll never have to buy a house in a rich suburb and have to deal with right-wing municipal governments breathing down my neck. Oh, wait. I have to deal with it anyway. Never mind.
In Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, an affluent suburb of Detroit, even those who can afford to live in that community aren't safe from an overbearing city government. The city has sued a homeowner because the sides of her garage feature 2 murals that she painted that hide the house's air conditioner. The town says the murals violate the local sign ordinance. But they're not signs. They're beautiful, one-of-a-kind murals, dammit!
The city of Grosse Pointe Park appointed itself as an art critic in the name of maintaining the town's character - which sounds to me like just a pretentious excuse for enforcing conformity.
And get this: The city is trying to put the woman's husband in jail if the artwork isn't removed!
Why would a populist blog worry about what an affluent community does? Because this type of busybodyism has a trickle-down effect. It may start in rich suburbs but eventually also afflicts poorer inner cities and rural counties. It applies to not only art but also tools, equipment, and entire houses. That's one of the reasons you see central cities abusing eminent domain to tear down working-class neighborhoods and transfer the property to powerful developers - or counties imposing policies to make small farmers get rid of implements they need for work. Whether it's a beautiful work of art such a mural or a tool that you need for work, if authorities don't like the way it looks, they make people hear about it.
I can understand going after an ugly cell phone tower or a new office building that blocks residents' views - for these aren't placed by residents. There's general agreement that there's too many cell towers in places that detract from the landscape. But these never get taken down, because they're owned by powerful corporations, not people. Right-wing state lawmakers in Kentucky even robbed cities of the power to regulate these monstrosities.
If wealthy suburbs are going after homeowners today over an attractive mural, your hometown will be going after you tomorrow over just about anything. This pattern has been seen before, as more and more poor cities try to mimic their wealthier counterparts.
(Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14620677/detail.html;
http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=12024)
Saturday, November 17, 2007
City sues resident over murals
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Dammit Bandit, every time you write something I, and all rational people can agree with, you go and RUIN it with nutty logic like saying cell phone companies should be barred from putting up towers because "there's too many cell towers in places that detract from the landscape."
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in saying it's none of the government's business what a property owner puts on or does with his property. But it makes no difference who the property owner is.
And for the record, I hate cell phones.
So Scehff you're saying greedy cell phone businesses should have the same rights as residents??
ReplyDeleteWhat's the logic in that??
Keep in mind the cell phone business is an absentee owner that comes into a neighborhood....not a person who lives in the neighborhood
The far left's disdain for business and capitalism shouldn't have any bearing on property owner's rights. Putting up cell phone towers has nothing to do with "greed." Cell phone towers are still subject to zoning regulations, so it's not as if they just spring up where ever phone service providers want.
ReplyDeleteAnd without those towers every few miles, cell phone service doesn't work very well. People don't want those ugly towers next door, but they sure seem to like their cell phones.
It's my understanding cell towers are not subject to zoning regulations in KY...Bandit mentioned that the (Republican) state legislature "preempted" the cities by saying the cities cannot regulate them.
ReplyDeleteIt is also my experience they spring up in residential areas where people do not want them...however only the rich areas have the clout to fight it. If your neighborhood is poor or working-class, forget about keeping the ugly towers out of your neighborhood.