Posted on 02/14/2020 10:13:26 AM PST by kathsua
I considered naming the Fort after the Ohio city that threw two retired veterans in jail for not painting their home. The heartless city officials were ungrateful for the fact that the veterans were willing to risk all of their tomorrows so the city officials could have their todays.
The veterans didn't know they were living in Fort Stepford. The fictional city of Stepford is the home of robotic wives. A Fort Stepford city is a city where government martinets try to force rigid adherence to the city's military like regulations. City codes define the condition a resident owner's house and yard must be in to avoid a fine. or worse. If you have an old car you want to fix "someday" you will need a garage to keep it in because you can't keep an old car in your yard in Fort Stepford.
Fort Stepford cities don't care about people. Fort Stepford cities don't care if people are happy. Fort Stepford cities only care about appearances. Fort Stepford cities don't care if people have a place to live as long as houses are "neat and pretty". Fort Stepford cities don't care if people have enough to eat as long as houses are properly painted. People friendly cities recognize a house can only be a home if the house and yard serve the personality and interests of the resident owner. People ..have to conform to an employer's behavior standards at work. Home is where they can be themselves. Adults and children can play with their "toys" and keep a toy in the yard even if the "toy" is a 1956 Chevy.
Where we live our local government is our firewall against Federal abuse.
Lucky us.
David Allan coe
If That Ain’t Country
The old man was covered with tattoos and scars
He got some in prison and others in bars
The rest he got working’ on old junk cars
In the daytime
They looked like tombstones in our yard
And I never seen him when he wasn’t tired and mean
He sold used parts to make ends meet
Covered with grease from his head to his feet
Cussing’ the sweat and the texas heat
And skeeterz
And the neighbors said we lived like hicks
But they brung their cars for pa to fix anyhow
He was veteran-proud, tried and true
He’d fought till his heart was black and blue
Didn’t know how he’d made it through the hard times
“City codes define the condition a resident owner’s house and yard must be in to avoid a fine or worse.”
Wait until you’ve lived next to a person who believes it’s his right not to maintain his lawn. His backyard adjoins mine and I know that he has not mowed that backyard in the seven years I’ve lived here. There are snakes, skunks, raccoons and possums living there. He has a storm shelter that is full of water. The whole yard is a mosquito condo.
He actually spent a night in jail for failure to mow his front yard. I’ve filled multiple complaints with the city. The case is in court where he just keeps asking for more delays. And, no, the guy has enough money to take his girlfriend on river cruises.
“City codes define the condition a resident owner’s house and yard must be in to avoid a fine or worse.”
Wait until you’ve lived next to a person who believes it’s his right not to maintain his lawn. His backyard adjoins mine and I know that he has not mowed that backyard in the seven years I’ve lived here. There are snakes, skunks, raccoons and possums living there. He has a storm shelter that is full of water. The whole yard is a mosquito condo.
He actually spent a night in jail for failure to mow his front yard. I’ve filled multiple complaints with the city. The case is in court where he just keeps asking for more delays. And, no, the guy has enough money to take his girlfriend on river cruises.
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