I saw this in today's Folsom Telegraph, dated 1 October 2014.
I will be typing this in so if there are any typos it is my fault.
What about this???? Are you kidding me ???
Is this true???
Quote:
COMMENT
READER INPUT
When does cleaning up turn into rights infringement?
Cleaning up our neighborhoods does need to be done but in a way that is acceptable to the citizens involved and without infringement or rights.
What would help is removing dead cars from street view, get cars off the lawns, remove rubbish and weeds, cut trees growing over sidewalks, repair dilapidated fences and sidewalks and other corrections in keeping with codified law or ordinance.
A few days ago our local code enforcement agent, Peter J. Picardo here in Folsom, went door-to-door in an attempt to clean up the neighborhood. Code enforcement by its definition would lead one to believe that the agent is enforcing codified laws or statute and that the agent himself is following the law in his enforcement methods. Neither is the case here. Picardo told one city resident who is known for his red, white and blue yard décor and large American flag on his house that he had to “tone down” patriotic colors. My first reaction was an offer to paint the house – yes red, white and blue – but the property owner declined fearing retribution from the city.
During Piardo’s door-to-door visit he also conducted warrantless searches of at least one property entering the back yard through a closed gate. I have witnessed such unlawful searches by code enforcement in the past and was threatened with arrest when I asked the agent who he was and why he was entering my neighbor’s yard.
The citizen that Picardo told to town the red, white and blue is a man that takes extreme pride in home and country having two sons that fought in the Persian Gulf. The man is often jokingly called the neighborhood captain because he does remind his neighbors to keep lawns green, before watering fines, and to keep their yards tidy. But instead of seeing the citizen as a positive and potential asset to the stated desired result, Picardo, in classic Folsom city style, went on the attack. Picardo threatened another man with a search of the inside of his home which is totally outside the Code jurisdiction of code enforcement and requires a search warrant exception. Code enforcement does not fall under any exception. The joke goes that red, white and blue stand for freedom unless it is flashing in your rear view mirror. Our government – city, state and central – are chipping away at the freedom and making our national colors a vulgar thing to display. What is left is the anxiety of government all around us that was once confined to the rear view mirror. I say fly your flag proudly and if some Nazi city representative tells you that you can’t offer him an embarrassing place in the national spotlight.
MARK C. RUNYAN, Folsom
Unquote:
