WE can only imagine the sort of Orwellian GroupThink reaction followers of a blog like Get Whatcom Planning might suffer at the sight of a cartoon like this: "Oh those @!*!! property rights freaks over at the Whatcom Excavator! Wolves and lambs? Indeed."
The good folks down in San Juan County are in the fight of their lives (like our Skagit neighbors are) trying to hold onto what civil rights they can. Ordinary citizens are facing one battle after another with domineering planning departments hellbent to dictate what citizens are "permitted" to do. Dare to farm? Submit a plan. Grow a garden? Submit a plan. Operate a home business? Better watch your P's and Q's. It's hard to believe, but if whatever you want to do with your land wasn't an activity of record in your neighborhood in 1990 - forget it. [The irony is, the eco-freak planner types consider this kind of retro-control "progressive." What an oxymoronic handle.]
The proposed San Juan CAO ordinance declares the whole county either protected shoreline or a critical area. And the BLM has thrown its nasty spider web over the islands.
Of course we're basically in the same boat - only here we're facing runaway claims about wetlands, shorelines and watersheds plus constant demands for more open space and "resource protection" of OUR property. Futurewise is on a tear, pushing our elected officials into corners. Parks, trails and habitat corridors are weaving the works together. Pay your taxes and do what you're told. Is this about "property rights"? Heck no.
Property doesn't have rights, people do -- or should we say, people DID. This cartoon isn't amusing - it's too accurate. Honor is due to San Juan CAPR for trying to keep a sense of humor.
The proposed San Juan CAO ordinance declares the whole county either protected shoreline or a critical area. And the BLM has thrown its nasty spider web over the islands.
Of course we're basically in the same boat - only here we're facing runaway claims about wetlands, shorelines and watersheds plus constant demands for more open space and "resource protection" of OUR property. Futurewise is on a tear, pushing our elected officials into corners. Parks, trails and habitat corridors are weaving the works together. Pay your taxes and do what you're told. Is this about "property rights"? Heck no.
Property doesn't have rights, people do -- or should we say, people DID. This cartoon isn't amusing - it's too accurate. Honor is due to San Juan CAPR for trying to keep a sense of humor.
RSS Feed
