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March 6, 2009
Fined for Displaying the First Amendment on Private Property
More government is intrinsically bad. With every law that passes, petty tyrant bureaucrats become a little more powerful, and the rest of us have a little less air to breathe. As an example of how awful it's gotten already, a bait shop in Clearwater, Florida has been fined for painting this tasteful mural on its wall:
The mural allegedly constitutes "extra signage" — which is forbidden. Never mind that it includes no words or logos, or that the store sells bait, not fish, much less that it is none of bureaucrats' business whether a business advertises its wares on its own property anyway. The point seems to be to prove that Clearwater's homegrown Politburo can make people do whatever it says.
The owners complied with orders to cover the mural with this banner featuring our precious First Amendment:
Apparently, authorities think they're being baited. They want to levy a fine of $500 for every day the banner is displayed.
The ACLU has actually made itself useful for once, taking this to court on behalf of the owners, who can't afford to buy justice on their own.
On a tip from The MaryHunter.
Posted by Van Helsing at March 6, 2009 7:08 AM
Comments
Clearwater needs to set up special elections right about now. I think the idiots responsible for abusing government authority need to be fired now.
Posted by: ChicagoBlood at March 6, 2009 9:26 AM
I don't even want to get started on the petty tyrants that write and enforce local zoning and land development regulations. The federal government earns most of the scorn, but if you own private property it's the local regulations that will make you feel like you're living in the Soviet Union.
What started out as seemingly reasonable regulations like requiring a decent septic tank has grown into an absolute menace to private property rights.
Posted by: forest at March 6, 2009 9:32 AM
"The ACLU has actually made itself useful for once, taking this to court on behalf of the owners, who can't afford to buy justice on their own."
Which ACLU? No way- THE ACLU!? I never thought I'd see the day. I'm actually glad to hear that they're involved this time.
Posted by: Murff at March 6, 2009 10:17 AM
Which ACLU? No way- THE ACLU!? I never thought I'd see the day. I'm actually glad to hear that they're involved this time.
Posted by: Murff at March 6, 2009 10:17 AM
They'll get one right out of a thousand every so often. A fleating glimpse of what the organization could've been if not for the driving agenda of its leadership.
Posted by: Nathaniel M at March 6, 2009 12:30 PM
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Posted by: Cheesecake at March 6, 2009 1:12 PM
Every one of those bunch of buricratic stupidheads should be kicked clear out of the country to where their ilk is more appreiated like SAN FRANFREAKSHOW
Posted by: Spurwing Plover at March 6, 2009 3:00 PM
Only a local government, moron, bureaucrat, douche bag could come up with something like this to harass a private citizen. I wonder if they are idiots before the get into politics or if there is some strange force inside government buildings that draws down their IQ's as they sit on their taxpayer fattened asses?
Posted by: john of utah at March 6, 2009 4:00 PM
Ah, Clearwater, Florida.
This particular city is the head of a religious order; I won't say which one. This religious order is well known for using the government and such legal actions to punish dissenters and people it labels as enemies. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find this instance is a veiled religious persecution.
Posted by: Anonymous at March 6, 2009 4:28 PM
I don't understand what was the problem with the mural to begin with.... What exactly is "extra signage" ??
Posted by: Andrea at March 6, 2009 7:01 PM
Posted by: Andrea at March 6, 2009 7:01 PM
Its Big Government speak for, "Gimme yo' money, foo!"
Posted by: SK at March 6, 2009 9:38 PM
Extra signage can translate to: I am a dumbass minor official in a totally unimportant government job and my kid is on meth and somebody needs to pay so I am going to throw my weight around and make someone else miserable just because I can.
Hope that helps
Posted by: john of utah at March 7, 2009 10:56 AM
