Thursday, March 11, 2010

Your View: City zoning enforcement is becoming oppressive

When Jim Ireton announced his candidacy for the office of mayor for the city of Salisbury, he quoted the following section of our Declaration of Independence:
"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the Earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them."

However, recent actions by Mayor Ireton have me reflecting on this particular stanza from that same great document:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."


In good faith, Karen Marshall purchased a home that included a one-bedroom apartment above the garage which, from everything she understood, was OK for her to rent out to help pay for her mortgage. The American dream -- exercising her liberty and pursuing happiness -- has all been crushed by an overzealous mayor and Zoning Board, wishing to make an example of somebody.

Imagine our forefathers' reaction to such a situation. It would range from disgust to contempt or embarrassment that our elected officials have made a mockery of our history, founding documents and the blood shed over the centuries to prevent this very situation -- an oppressive government.

I, for one, would rather err on the side of liberty than oppression.

Muir W. Boda
Salisbury
Boda is a member of the executive board of the Maryland Libertarian Party. --Editor

1 comment:

  1. Certainly glad I do not live in the city. Oppression is oppression, whether it is the law or the person enforcing it. Sounds like Ireton has King George complex.

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