Posted on 07/02/2008 11:16:42 AM PDT by JZelle
The Prince George's County Revenue Authority, its tax receipts sputtering as home prices plunge, has adopted a novel way to brake the slide.
By cracking down on front lawns that resemble used-car lots and on trucks parked in residential areas, the authority reckons it can collect some of the $15 million in unpaid tickets and make neighborhoods more attractive to potential home buyers and prospective businesses.
"A lot of the enforcement is for aesthetics because things are disorderly looking, but we also want to increase property values and make the community more livable," said Troy Thompson, director of parking operations for the authority.
The aggressive enforcement of existing laws began June 17 after nearly 20 years of discussion, officials said.
Two cars, a sport utility vehicle, a dump truck, worn-out rubber tires, rusted car batteries, red gasoline cans, a pop-up camper and other refuse engulfed in weeds grace Cheverly resident John Gasaway's front yard.
Revenue authority officials ticketed Mr. Gasaway $500 for the illegally parked truck as part of a crackdown on commercial vehicles parked in residential areas.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
At any given time, I may be working on a car (we actually did have one up on blocks in the driveway for a short time while working on the tranny), running dogs over agility obstacles, building horse jumps, or any number of other worthwhile and entertaining projects.
Here and there, it's still a free country.
Has the county *really* revised property tax assessment values downward? I find that very hard to believe.
Will they be killing the violators in their jail cells?
Some of the problems of P.G. County go beyond the aesthetics of yard clutter. Unless those other issues are addressed, it’s doubtful that P.G. will be more attractive to potential residents and businesses.
“tax receipts sputtering as home prices plunge, has adopted a novel way to brake the slide... make neighborhoods more attractive to potential home buyers and prospective businesses.”
So even if you aren’t selling your home, you need to fix it up, maybe add a swimming pool, so that they can tax you at a higher rate.
And if you don’t make the mandatory changes (cleaning up your yard for instance, maybe a new coat of paint), you will be fined.
It’s all about more money for government. And Nannystatism.
I don’t see any campaign from cities to spend their budgets replacing UGLY “Stop WAR” graffitied stop signs.
Not if this becomes Obamanation.
The whole world will be watching. You will no longer be permitted to eat whatever you want, set your air conditioning at what you want, drive on a roadtrip (this does irritate some people in this world, that we have freedom of movement and a love affair with our cars).
I wonder when they are going to legislate that we go to the smelly European style of toilet that only puts water in the bowel at the end of the flush cycle.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." -
-- C.S. Lewis
“The aggressive enforcement of existing laws began June 17 after nearly 20 years of discussion,”.....
When city bureaucrats run out of your money they always find ways to shake that old taxpayer money tree....
Rusted car batteries? I didn't know that car batteries contained any iron.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
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