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one thing about my city…

I received a postcard in the mail that informed me that the city of Antioch passed some laws that it intends to enforce in the near future to improve the appearance of the community.
Some of the most common problems are:
1. visible waste bins
2. overgrown lawns
3. visible trailers
4. autos in disrepair
These topics were illustrated with photographs of the aforementioned ‘crimes’ existing in driveways and sideyards of single family homes.
I received a letter shortly after informing me that a City Inspector whose duty it is to report such evils has identified my home as a nuisance. I had been storing my recycle bin and waste bin on my extended driveway’s edge, which can be viewed from the sidewalk & street. No, trash was not strewn about, no piles of junk, just two 64 gallon bins neatly parked next to my driveway’s edge.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand why many people choose to live in planned communities and country clubs, paying for strict controls on what color you can paint your house trim and forbidding residents from parking on a driveway, (which after all is designed only to drive on, not to park on, that’s what a garage is for, technically). They keep it necessary for residents to pay an RV storage facility to keep their RV and boats out of public view, and so on. I intentionally avoided such yuppie ghettos for the peace of mind that home ownership should give. Although I smirk at the properties with hot pink paint jobs and peeling trim, I don’t complain, because they remind me that I could be stuck in a neighborhood where I would be hassled not only by a mortgage payment every month, but also mello roos taxes & a homeowner’s association, with it’s fees and fines for landscaping that only the recently retired and gardening enthusiasts could never fear.
I was informed I could be fined $1000 for not putting my bins behind my fence. After some thought and reflection, I moved the bins. (…coward, I know) I choose my battles, and I don’t have time to fight this battle, and it cost me nothing but time to roll them to the sideyard. I am now a slightly more informed voter. I guess the majority of deciders at whatever council meetings happen are in homeowner’s associations, themselves.
Avoid those who think more legislative control will be the best solution to our city’s problems, and support those who promote job opportunities for locals and businesses to want to do business in our good city.

-Ezra

http://www.ezraengle.com/