County Sues Man For Being Bad Neighbor
No, he's not shooting anybody who walks past his house, he's growing too many kinds of little green shoots. From WSBTV:
DeKalb County is suing a local farmer for growing too many vegetables, but he said he will fight the charges in the ongoing battle neighbors call "Cabbagegate."Fig trees, broccoli and cabbages are among the many greens that line the soil on Steve Miller's more than two acres in Clarkston, who said he has spent fifteen years growing crops to give away and sell at local farmers markets.
...In January, Dekalb County code enforcement officers began ticketing him for growing too many crops for the zoning and having unpermitted employees on site.
Miller stopped growing vegetables this summer and the charges were put on hold as he got the property rezoned.
He still may be sued, retroactively, for...I dunno...intent to eat and distribute salad?
This is silly, and another example of overlegislating (growing too many kinds of vegetables is against the law?!), but this is the kind of law that could be used to jail somebody otherwise innocent to pressure them to stop their free speech or shut down other rights they are exercising. People need to understand that excessive laws can be a danger and a way to extort people out of their Constitutionally protected rights.
via Drudge
What? WHAT!? I feel like Louis Black. I'm not grinning, my teeth are trying to reach around and eat my brain!
Pricklypear at September 13, 2010 9:24 AM
This proves there are too many county employees without productive jobs.
MarkD at September 13, 2010 11:24 AM
This is a price thing. Some ladies at our church wanted to grow food for the poor and we were warned we could be sued. Even if it were spread out over all our yards. Then there would be the FDA to deal with. We could have risked jail. If we give food away that we have grown for that purpose we lower the value of what the farmers have grown for profit. And farmers around her can be rather... petty.
So our gardens remain ours and the poor remain hungry.Bastards
JosephineMO6 at September 13, 2010 11:29 AM
Can't feed the poor unless you follow regulations.
Check out what happens to hippy groups like "Bread not Bombs" when the try to feed the poor.
http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/bake_sales_and_lemonade_stands_dont_count/
Actually another ones comes to mind is with John Stossel report when he was on ABC. Tried to look for the details but basically a women was providing free bagged lunches plus milk to poor children (I think in a very poor neighborhood) but since the lunches where not made in an proper industrial/restaurant kitchen she told to stop and desist.
Give Me a Break.
Can not help people unless you have the proper paperwork or equipment. What a loss of humanity!
John Paulson at September 13, 2010 11:42 AM
Here in Idaho there are many businesses where you can drop off extra fruits and vegetables from your garden or farm for the poor and homeless. But then, we still reclaim the meat from deer \ elk \ moose hit on the roads for the homeless shelters.
Eric at September 13, 2010 2:56 PM
WOW what insanity! Everyone complains about fat people and junk food yet they come down on this guy for growing healthy food in his yard. Totally nuts!!!!
WOW at September 15, 2010 10:08 AM
Do they have a crazy HOA or something?
Those things are just wrong.
NicoleK at September 16, 2010 10:05 AM
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