Don’t Tase My Garden, Bro
All’s well that ends well begins the post, and indeed the City is backing off its harassment of a North Buffalo woman because of her well-tended, large garden.
While the blog posts, as well as some posts on Buffalo Issue Alerts, strike a conciliatory tone with respect to whether or not it was one City official who prompted the now-moot court action, I respectfully disagree.
It’s one thing if it was a neighbor, or a couple of neighbors, who complained to the City about the garden. Why? Because it’s highly doubtful that the City’s action against the homeowner would have been so zealous had it been so.
The number of visits by inspectors - 5 or 6 - indicates that someone with some juice in City Hall made some calls and got inspectional services into high gear.
Presumably the complaints would be on file somewhere. Are they public record? Would a FOIA request reveal the identity of the complainant? It’s not a gardening issue; it’s an abuse of power issue from where I’m sitting.
eliz. Says:September 26th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Yes, absolutely, BP, the anonymous complaint-based system needs an overhaul. I also think some education of the inspectors would be helpful.
But bottom line, Brown visited Jean personally last night and he responded to all the emails he received with a full report. Whatever the origin of the complaints, I was impressed by that, regardless of any reservations I may stiill hold.
Citizen advocacy can work very well. Is it sad that it is necessary? Perhaps, but in what utopia would it not be?
FancyWow Says:September 26th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Is the fact that so much high level energy (Brown, Tobe) went into personally rectifying this situation actually emblematic of a city with its priorities mixed up?
Clearly, inspectors should not be pestering gardeners that are beautifying the city ‘outside the box’
But isn’t it just as clear that the mayor and head of economic development should not be dealing with said issue either?
Michele Johnson Says:September 26th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Its bullshit like this that lets us know the more things change the more they stay the same!
I know many COB inspectors and they wouldnt of written someone up over some damn flowers no matter who was complaining. I happen to think Rich Tobe is the best hire Brown made in his administration.
Bill Altreuter Says:September 26th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Hilariously, I heard a couple of suits talking about this dust-up at the Amherst Street Wegman’s this evening. I only caught enough to be sure that this is what they were talking about, but it was interesting to hear realspace gossip about something the MSM hadn’t (as far as I know) covered.
I continue to hope for the best from Byron Brown– his kid went on a joyride, and his response to that was tone-deaf, and there have been several episodes like this, that I know of, where it seems like business-as-usual City Hall is still in the saddle, but for the most part it seems to me that he is getting it more right than Mayor McCheese was at a comparable point in his reign
Tatonka Says:September 27th, 2007 at 5:47 am
In the Buffalo News this morning, Steve Casey denied any involvement, and Mayor Brown said that a few of Jean Dicksons’ neighbors - but not Casey - had complained. Who knows?
FancyWow Says:September 27th, 2007 at 8:31 am
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/25/AR2007092502400.html?hpid=sec-artsliving
why stop talking about bass-pro???
why not look at the $8MM a first ring DC suburb is putting up for a 500 seat concert hall, part of the Filmore / LiveNation corporation….
Buffalopundit Says:September 27th, 2007 at 8:37 am
I am quite confident that Steve Casey didn’t personally file any formal complaint.
steve Says:September 27th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Fancy — You’re so far off topic I nearly strained something, but…we now have franchises of the Fillmore? That noise you hear is various rock legends spinning in their graves.
Jeff Brennan Says:September 27th, 2007 at 11:45 am
BP - the title of this post has got me in stitches. I picture myself saying “Don’t tase my ____, bro” for multitudes of things over the coming months. That phrase could enter the lexicon if we use it just a little bit.
In regard to the inspections, we all know, including the Buffalo Dept. of Inspection Services, Permits, etc. and all of city hall that there is plenty of room for improvement. It is vital that all of us city residents remind the Brown administration to continue to work for a better, more efficient and effective system within its limited resources. Priorities are often questionable is all I can say and this is clearly one more example. This area can’t afford wasted government effort.
WNYMedia.net :: Buffalo Geek Says:September 30th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
[…] Housing inspectors harassing citizens at the behest of [strike]city officials[/strike] anonymous complaints over garden… while large swaths of our built environment descend into arson and […]