I just got home from my Tuesday night political meeting. Since I’ve been gone, they’ve moved it back to Fuddruckers. 🙂
I’m still doing the Just Jot It January challenge (the prompt today is: coffee), but I’ve decided to go off on another tangent and stir the pot again today…
I haven’t been going to those meetings for a while. Not only because I’ve been in and out on a couple of jobs recently, but also because I just get so frustrated, angry and depressed over the state of things.
We talk about all kinds of things at those meetings. Everything from healthy, fresh (non-GMO) foods, organic gardening and raw milk to chemtrails, fluoridation, cryptocurrencies, UN agenda 21, property rights, human rights, civil liberties, abuse of power, corporatism, corrupt politicians, the banksters running everything, and all kinds of other things.
Tonight, I met the guy who called me last night. He told us all the story he told me over the phone last night.
Personally, I was angered and disgusted with the extent that people completely refuse to just mind their own business. Of course, many people think that everything is their business. That’s a big problem everywhere. Maybe especially in small towns like this one.
This is his story: His family lives on a sailboat. They leased a mooring from a man and they’ve been living aboard their sailboat down there near the beach. The man (I’ll call him Dave), his wife (I’ll call her Maria) and their kids.
They’re a nice, quiet couple. Normal kids (I haven’t met the kids yet). Not making trouble or bothering anybody. Minding their own business.
Christmas Eve, the cops showed up and gave them 2 hours to get out! OK, it’s damn near impossible to do that on short notice. If you have a boat, you know what I’m talking about.They didn’t want to anyway (and I don’t blame them). They asked why? What was the problem?
Long story short, the cops have been harassing them every day since. Dave finally told the cops to give him a ticket or leave him alone. So, they made up some line of BS, told Dave that living aboard his boat violated some ordinance (turns out there is no such ordinance) and when Dave investigated and challenged the cops on it was told (oops!) he didn’t really violate that ordinance, it was a different one!
So. Here’s a nice normal family, being harassed and run out of town because they made the choice to live aboard a boat instead of a ‘normal’ house. I ask why is that anybody else’s business?
I’ve been involved in arguments about ‘boat trash’ for years. I own a house very close to where this is happening today. I bought it specifically to dock my boat there. I fought the homeowners association about their ridiculous opinions about boat owners (“boat trash”) back then. I still think they’re full of uninformed prejudice and they really need to just shut up and mind their own business.
IMHO, If I buy property, I ought to be able to USE it! Why buy anything if you’re not going to use it? “Use” is inherent in the definition of ownership and is common sense part and parcel of buying something.
If you want to dictate how I can use “my” property, then I don’t really own it- YOU DO! And if you’re not paying me for that, then you’re stealing from me and you are completely unjustified to even think you ought to be able to do that!
This family of sailors is not hurting anyone in the neighborhood in any way, shape or form! They pay their rent (part of which goes to the property taxes), they don’t look for trouble, they use shoreside facilities (water, sewer, trash) so there is no “trash” involved! They’re normal people except that they’ve decided to try and escape the rat race and live their dreams.
They ought to be able to do that! And nobody should be able to harass them about their choices!
Aaaand, not only is that family being unjustly attacked, but their landlord’s property rights are being violated too. HE is the one who made the deal to rent this family space. HE bought and paid for that property. HE ought to be able to USE it the way HE wants to.
It’s NOT up to the neighbors, it’s NOT up to the city! If he is not harming anyone else by his use of his property, then it is his absolute right to do so!
Neither the property owner nor the sailors are bothering anybody in any real way. They are not harming anyone! Someone decides they don’t like looking at ‘boat trash’, well that’s just tough tiddly-winks! Grow up! The world does not run itself to satisfy your every desire!
You want a pristine view, then either buy up all the property as far as you can see around you so that YOU have a legitimate right to say something about your view, or shut the hell up!
You live in a community, you need to understand that other people also have rights. As long as no one is harming another, everyone has the exact same equal rights under the law! YOU cannot run someone off because you don’t like their appearance!
We can’t (and should stop trying to) make laws based on such subjective ideals. Everyone has a different opinion. A different viewpoint. Laws need to be based on objective FACTS. NOT opinions, not feelings, not looks!
You shouldn’t be allowed to force me to paint my house YOUR favorite color! I should be allowed to paint it MY favorite color regardless of how much you hate it!
Hopefully, we can come to an agreement where we each paint our houses some color we can at least tolerate. The point is, there should not be a LAW about it!
This is supposed to be a “free country”. As Americans, we’re supposed to value “freedom” and “liberty”. “A man’s home is his castle”.
WTF happened? Do we really need laws to dictate what color you can paint your house? Because you might ‘offend’ someone? REALLY? Offending someone is NOT harming them!
This trend towards protecting everyone’s ‘feelings’ and trying to be inoffensive is getting past the point of ridiculousness. It has now become actively harmful.
This sailors story is just one example. I don’t know how you feel about it (but I hope you’ll comment). I hope you’ll think about what I’m trying to get across here. I’m curious to hear your objections (and yeah, I’m pretty sure there will be plenty- at least there would be in person so hoping being online won’t stop everyone).
I plan to help this family fight the city. I’m not sure what I can do, but I’m starting by sharing their story and looking for suggestions.
Jill I read this article on Linked In and almost made the mistake on answering there instead of here…. since I have to be a little cautious with my opinion on social media as I am still sort of looking for work, those same people who are controlling the neighborhoods and cities might be the ones making a choices to hire me or NOT.
I LOVE this “discussion” and it was only a few days ago that I friend of mine received not one but 4 letters from his HOA (Home Owners Association) about stuff at his place and some of the issues were not even in violations of the HOA code stated in the letter!!! All left up to interpretation of a judge, if he chooses to take it that far. My friend posted a couple his letters on Facebook, which my wife has one of those pages, and of course I couldn’t resist my sarcasm at the whole issue, and let loose with a comment or two on my friend in a little bit of a friendly way that guys do. Several others has a good laughable comment too. BUT! Let me be clear on my opinion, HOA’s SUCK!, and there are cities and municipalities that have taken up those rules books and made them LAW! It has completely become a Neo Nazi state upon which to live in and in some places it is GROWING, annexing areas around by cities only to claim more taxes.
Not to confuse things here but I wanted to bring up another point, you up brought briefly above, that with these types of rules/laws, then you don’t really own your property you bought. Well from a property tax point of view the same is true….. I was discussing ownership of property with another friend in regards to paying off your mortgage. My friend brought up the point that you NEVER really owner your property…. you will always have to pay your taxes or you lose it, (doesn’t matter if you think it is paid for or not), try not paying your annual taxes. huh?
So if an HOA has rules to keep property values UP, and your taxes go UP with your property value, then eventually you WILL be forced to move or lose your property because you might not be able to afford the HOA dues and taxes on your property. It is there long term way of getting the trashy people and financially disadvantaged people out of their hoods. SAD!
So what I did, before I brought in I checked on the HOA rules of every hood in my present area. I live in a hood that has very very FEW rules, and even though some residents may not completely “follow” the rules we are so small that there isn’t an HOA and no body really cares or at least no body says anything to the rest of us. But everyone keeps their places in relatively the same condition, we as a group are sort of proud of that fact. I unfortunately do have a complaint that is completely my own but only bothers me on nights when I break out my telescope….. two of my neighbors live with all the exterior lights on ALL night. What a waste of electricity and does nothing to stop crime as there is very little in our area, at none in our hood in the last 18 years. But the light pollution produced by those lights is outstanding! It is annoying but I deal with it and life goes on. What worries me most about where I live is that the city near us has been annexing land. I worry that we will be on the list someday. I hope not. I can light a fire outside anytime I want, I can put up tents anytime I want, I can have garage sales with paying the city their cut, I have lots of freedoms that would be taken away by being in the city. I am very lucky and grateful for where I live.
BUT NOW……for the objective side of this whole discussion…. hee hee. I have a relative in Florida that is a lawyer. She tells me that laws in Florida regarding HOA rules are some of the MOST screwed up BUT for good reason. The main one being, as mentioned earlier, property values. When we go to sell our property we ALL want to get the best price, right? What is your house is worth say $100k more if your hood was kept up? If your hood looks trashy….. well. Sorry not everyone wants to drive home through a garbage dump. So you say they should go live some place else….. why don’t “YOU” go live some place else where you can trash your yard all you want. 2 sides to every coin. I discovered early living in my 1st hood and walking my dog, that I HATE those plastic yard art crap that people put in their yards! I am not sure why but to me they look TACKY. So I would walk my dog another route so I didn’t have to look at that one particular yard. Yet, if I was a Neo Nazi leader, I would have attended an HOA meeting and petitioned for a ruling to MAKE those people remove their crap from their yard. And believe me it is a “free country” BOTH WAYS and I have the “right” to vote those rules into place. All I would have to do is get a majority of neighbors on my side, and be gone with the plastic yard art! Other issues that comes up is pet ownership, running free through the hood, dog poop or type of breed of dog. Also noise, jacked up pickup trucks, and the one I like the best, controlling the beach front in front of their beach front property, lost in federal court but ignored by resorts with security guards harassing people on the beach. Some go so far as to dictate not only improvements to your yard, outside paint but also ANY improvements INSIDE your home. You can’t upgrade your counter tops say to, granite, because that would put your house at an advantage over others in the hood. Another words keep your white privileged ass DOWN, we don’t want your house value going up for more than the average in the hood because they don’t want to risk their taxes going up?!? WTF? Wait I thought…
There are all kinds of rules for all kinds of people and communities out there, we must segregate in to like minded idiots, change the rules, divide and conquer our neighbors. IT is a free country you just have to congregate with your people. OR you can make changes, you just have to change the law with enough votes. Not to be racist here, but just take a look at what the incoming Muslim population is doing….they are getting elected to school boards, elected to city counsels, joining police forces, and other powerful positions in cities around the WORLD and slowly but surely changing the laws and the cultures of ENTIRE countries. When the majority of people in an area want that area looking trashy, well then it will most likely keep the Neo Nazi leaders away.
Well Jill, not sure this totally related to your friends trashy boat issue but it is just another issue on the same overall problem, people just need to learn to get along. I am sure someone complained to the cops of about your friend. Maybe their kids walked across someone’s yard, who knows for sure. I wonder if that the same federal laws that protect beaches, MHW, would apply towards your friend boat. Not sure. But I might discuss that with my relative-in-law in Florida, as he practices that type of federal law. Yes it is a free country, but unfortunately it is based on the majority rules…. you just have to find where your majority is ruling or create your own hood.
Great comment Davy Jones!
I appreciate you taking the time to tell your story. Yes, I totally agree with you on the points you made about property taxes. In fact, my political group has been discussing that very point for quite a while now. I wish we could find some solution, but as you stated, people here totally believe we live in a democracy.
No, we DON’T. We live in a constitutional republic. That being so, there are all kinds of things that should never be allowed to happen. One of those things being- cities making laws on such stupid things as HOA rules! There should be NO laws regarding ANYTHING that doesn’t hurt someone else.
Increasing property values is not something I think there should be laws to enforce. As we’ve just seen, the property market is affected by all sorts of things and your house may be valued at a million bucks one day and only a quarter (or less) of that the next. Why should anyone be trying to increase their neighbors property values in the first place? That is my main point. You buy a piece of property, like you buy anything else, in order to USE IT. If your neighbors want to restrict your use of your property, then they owe you money for that. IMHO anyone who wants to live in a place like that is nuts. The problem is, many people don’t, but get co-opted by others moving in later and changing the rules.
Again, this country is NOT supposed to be based on majority rules! Its supposed to be based on the maximum individual liberty and HOAs and similar rules by cities violate that in every way. HOAs are at least nominally voluntary, cites are not. Those kinds of rules in cities should never be allowed.
I would love it if people could ‘just get along’! We should all do like you do and ignore the things that bother you. I do the same thing. I just don’t feel like its any of my business (in fact I KNOW it isn’t) . I ignore the neighbors barking dogs, or obnoxious kids, or ugly yard art. Thats because I understand they get to use their property the way they see fit. Nothing anyone does actually HARMS me. That is what should be the basis for any law- HARM. Actual, objective HARM. Not feelings, not emotions, not wishes!
Yes, please ask your FL lawyer about it. I’d like to know what they say. Personally, I doubt thy have the jurisdiction to say anything about a boat on the federally controlled waterways.
I know exactly what you mean about posting on Linkedin. I forget the blog is autoposting there sometimes and go OOPS! I linked it over there because I am trying my best to get it everywhere! I need people to see my posts, read them and comment. I am attempting to create a business here! I would absolutely prefer to have steady work offshore again, but it looks like that may never happen. I’m trying to transition to some other way to make a living. So, blogging the way I think is best.
Also, I HATE censorship and really don’t like self censorship either. I’m sure my posts must be costing me some jobs by this point. But I’m getting to the point where I really just don’t give a shit. If people can’t even DISCUSS what’s wrong with this country (or any situation), then how in the world are we ever going to come to any solutions?
I get very upset when I see what they’re doing in Europe. Outlawing ‘fake news’ and ‘hate speech’. They should not be outlawing it, they should be opening up more avenues for people to argue. If someone can’t convince others by a good argument that their points are valid, then they just might not be! THAT is the way to change peoples opinions, not shutting down the debate.
I had hopes the internet would allow ordinary people like you and me to have access to an open field of discussion. I had hopes that it would allow us REAL access to political representation. But no. Our ‘representatives’ continue to ignore us and do whatever the hell they want. Screw America and all us Americans (at least all of us without a few millions to hand out).