finished planting but not before the law was called on me

[Podunkadunk]

Being there first OUGHT to mean that you are grandfathered in and can remain doing the same thing that you have been doing, but in actuality, whoever has the most means or pull gets their way.

We had an old couple with no children in our area who had been raising animals for over 50 years. A subdivision was built around their place and people complained about the chickens, ducks, geese and goats that they raised. The authorities made them get rid of all their animals except a couple of dogs. They got rid of the animals and filed a lawsuit which dragged through the courts until it was dismissed when they died, presumably of broken hearts.

Pitiful...absolutely PITIFUL! It's stories like this that I hate reading...meanwhile the sheeple stand idly by, doing nothing, saying nothing. You see, this is what I'm talking about. Someone with some $ and yes, pull, must have greased the zoning boards pockets and had the area rezoned. Makes me sick to my stomach.

Podunk

 

[MossRoad]

Pitiful...absolutely PITIFUL! It's stories like this that I hate reading...meanwhile the sheeple stand idly by, doing nothing, saying nothing. You see, this is what I'm talking about. Someone with some $ and yes, pull, must have greased the zoning boards pockets and had the area rezoned. Makes me sick to my stomach.

Podunk

I learned long ago its not what you know, its who you know.

Now, you don't have to like it. And you don't have to accept it. But in the end, if you're smart, you'll end up doing what's best for you and yours, even if it means swallowing your pride.

Which many times means if the doofus causing you grief has deeper pockets and more friends, you're probably going to lose.

 

[tallyho8]

It was this story that prompted me to help start a civic association when I moved to my present home. Shortly after I moved here I was notified that the richest and most politically connected man in the parish bought 120 acres by us and was going to get it rezoned for homes on small lots. All the neighbors said it was awful but there was nothing they could do to fight someone with all these resources. Our civic association members put their wits together and challenged this rezoning at the council meeting and won against a superior foe.

Most politicians hold a deep respect for civic associations especially when you make your point and show up in numbers. One rich person is just one vote but a large civic association controls many votes.

 

[rcrcomputing]

deere755,

Being a reformed hot-head. (Or maybe just getting older), the one thing I can tell you is, what works for me or others in these types of situations will not necessarily work for you.
At this stage in my life, I'd like to think I'd start walking away when he started talking stupid stuff. It's how I'd have to try to handle it. I go WAY out into left field when angered and would go up against a sherman tank with a pocket knife. I've learned to try to avoid situations that I'd have jumped right into in the past.

I do suggest you carry some pepper spray with you. I would carry a gun as well, but that's just me.

Threads like this are interesting and helpful to me. I see many posts that offer different prospectives. And am grateful to those that post them.

 

[MossRoad]

It was this story that prompted me to help start a civic association when I moved to my present home. Shortly after I moved here I was notified that the richest and most politically connected man in the parish bought 120 acres by us and was going to get it rezoned for homes on small lots. All the neighbors said it was awful but there was nothing they could do to fight someone with all these resources. Our civic association members put their wits together and challenged this rezoning at the council meeting and won against a superior foe.

Most politicians hold a deep respect for civic associations especially when you make your point and show up in numbers. One rich person is just one vote but a large civic association controls many votes.

Yes, that works well sometimes. Around here, however, the people doing the buying are well connected politically. They "own" the zoning board, mayor of the nearest town, etc... and those folks keep getting elected despite doing a crummy job. Heck, Studebaker went out of business in the 60s and they are just starting to clean up this rust belt 45 years later. Kinda sucks to be "us" if you know what I mean.

 

[tallyho8]

Yes, that works well sometimes. Around here, however, the people doing the buying are well connected politically. They "own" the zoning board, mayor of the nearest town, etc... and those folks keep getting elected despite doing a crummy job. Heck, Studebaker went out of business in the 60s and they are just starting to clean up this rust belt 45 years later. Kinda sucks to be "us" if you know what I mean.

That's exactly the point of view that the residents here had before we started the civic association. The person buying the land had his daughter on the 7 member parish council and his partner was a former member of the council. The council makes all important decisions in the parish. Very few politicians plan on serving out their present term and retiring. They usually want to be in politics for the rest of their lives and aspire to higher positions. The news media LOVES to hear stories of corruption and ineptitude about politicians, especially when it comes from a reliable group such as a civic association which they hold as being much more credible than an individual. When a politician's chances of re-election start dimming due to unfavorable press releases and growing numbers of supporters for reform, he will frequently change his former stance on a matter even though he has received considerable campaign contributions from a few who wish to make undesirable changes.

So far, our David vs Goliath approach has worked well and brought us considerable respect throughout the community.

As long as you are working for the public good towards an end that the huge majority of the community wishes, and not just for the selfish desire of a few individuals, your chances of bringing the community together in a successfull civic association are higher than you might anticipate. When you gather a group of your community members together, you will be surprised at the different resources that each person has to benefit your organization and it is usually easy to find someone who is willing and able and also quite flattered to serve as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, etc of the association. The more Directors that you have, the more people who will be spending time figuring out different approaches for you to achieve your goals.

It CAN be done. Many of our minorities would be in a different boat right now if they had just sat back and figured that nothing could be done to improve their situations.

 

[MossRoad]

Around here if 100 one acre home owners don't want something but one 101 acre landowner does, the one person gets their way.

For example:

The city gets a developer to develop one large parcel in the county and commit to city water and sewer. Then the city annexes that large parcel and enough surrounding properties to almost but not quite double the area of the annexation. The county residents do not have city representation, so they cannot vote anyone out. They can form all the groups they want and it will not do any good at all.

Example two:

The board of zoning appeals is made up of appointed members, not elected members. You cannot vote against them, but you can vote against the people that appoint them... sort of. Because the group of people that appoints them are from three different cities and several county districts. You can only vote against one of them. There are nine, I believe.

 

[riptides]

I gave up fighting these issues a long time ago.

Now I just have a price.

Once the politicians get involved you don't know which way it will go, add the zoning boards, another sway, adding a lawyer or two to the "planning process", you can teeter into an abyss.

I have neither the time, clout or funding to fight these types of battles.

Yep, I just have a price.

 

[grnspot110]

I grew up farming (left the farm 35 yrs ago), now live in the edge of a town of 5000. Retired, worked for city Fire Dept 29 yrs. Our house has horses to the north, cattle to the south, only problems have been when gates were left open or fences in poor repair & stock got out!

That being said, too many people today think milk comes from a bottle, not a cow; cereal from a box, not a field. On the other side, being in the saftey business so long, I have no room for those few who head down the road with a combine w/30+ft. head still on the combine instead of on a trailer lenghtwise. And those who won't pull to the side of the road when safe to let traffic pass.

There are good & bad on both sides! Not right, just the way it is! ~~ grnspot110

 

[deere755]

Well I was over there mowing over the weekend and noticed the house where the trouble maker lived is empty. Kinda upsets me as I was planning to start cutting beans there around midnight this fall LOL. I just hope the next neighbor is not psycho.