Man Faces Fine For Pruning Tree (only in Massachusetts)

Yahoo News ^ | Feb 3,2007

[AmericanMade1776]

A Worcester property owner is facing a stiff fine after confusion over a city order to clean up a vacant lot brought about the sad end of a 200-year-old silver maple tree.

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported that an elegant shade tree once stood at the corner of Carver and Belmont streets in Worcester, at the edge of a vacant lot belonging to businessman Anthony Mallozzi.

In September 2005, Worcester officials denied Mallozzi's request to remove tree, insisting city workers would instead prune it. The city did no work on the tree. Last month, Mallozzi paid to have the tree pruned.

That tree was healthy, vigorous and did not need the level of pruning that Mr. Mallozzi undertook," Worcester City Manager Michael O'Brien said.

Mallozzi argued the tree was dying from termite infestation. He took pictures of rotted limbs, and he said the city's Department of Health and Human Services sent him a letter, which he interpreted to mean that he should trim the tree.

[Cvengr]

Looks like an invasive species to me. Sue the city government for not protecting the environment and hampering compliance with federal regulations.

[BenLurkin]

It is not just laughable.

It is condemnable.

[Swordmaker]

So much for the definition of the words "PRIVATE Property".

Watch the Video. The city managers statement actually is:

"We never direct private property owners to maintain or manage private public property. That's our responsibility," O'Brien said.

[rock58seg]

The tree was not "pruned." It was killed.

No it wasn't. I trimmed a lot of maples when I lived up north. That tree will sprout out very bushy in the springtime. Remember he had professionals do it and it looks as if they did it correctly.

[Lancey Howard]

Massachusetts is a nice audio-visual aid for previewing the kind of secular-socialist tyranny the scumbag Democrats want for America. Of course, the voters of Massachusetts deserve exactly what they elect. I only hope enough of America still has the brains and personal integrity to prevent America from becoming one big Massachusetts (or California, or New Jersey, or.... France).

Creeping socialism never seems to creep backwards, and the biggest problem may be what Ann Coulter called "this country's rash experiment with women's suffrage." Well, the genie is out of that bottle and I hope it doesn't end up destroying America.