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Title: Protecting and Serving: Texas Man Thrown in Jail for Weeks because his Lawn was Overgrown
Source:
Free Thought Project
URL Source: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/pr ... own-jail-weeks-lawn-overgrown/
Published: Apr 5, 2015
Author: Matt Agorist
Post Date: 2015-04-05 14:03:30 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 1955
Comments: 23
Grand Prairie, TX — A hard-working Texas man was thrown in jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest for an overgrown lawn. Rick Yoes is the campus electrician for Tarrant County College and usually works from before sun-up to after sun-down. In September of last year, he and his daughter had been hard at work and were unable to cut the lawn on their Grand Prairie home. The local government then claimed that because Yoes could not mow hiss lawn, he now owed them $1,700 for his grass that achieved a height of over six inches. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest and police were dispatched to keep us safe from the dangers of this man’s lawn. Yoes turned himself in on Saturday. Unable to pay the fine, Yoes was forced to use up all of his vacation days and find a replacement for his position as he serves out his 17 day sentence in the county jail — to pay his debt to society. “Yes, we should have been more on top of it, but we were so busy with work, and when we got a warning from the city we handled it,” Angle Yoes, Rick’s daughter told the Fresno People’s Media. According to the Fresno People’s Media, Yoes is a dedicated worker often times offering to help outside of the description of his job or volunteering for extracurricular activities. In 2012 he dressed up in 1776 style regalia and read a copy of the constitution to the student body. Because of his dedication he is loved by faculty, and students. In the Land of the Free you can be kidnapped and thrown in a cage for allowing the grass on your own property to grow past an arbitrary length set by the state.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 18.
#1. To: Deckard (#0)
The relevant ordinances can be seen at Municode.com. It seems the city did provide notification as required. The article lacks some details, like whether the $1700 fine included the cost of the city mowing the property for him, whether he had weeds overgrowing a sidewalk, etc. The "victim" may have been busy but he probably could have hired someone or traded work with them to get it mowed once he received notice.
But ... but ... as the article is very careful to point out, Yoes is a "dedicated worker often times offering to help outside of the description of his job or volunteering for extracurricular activities". Doesn't that mean the rules don't apply to him? Why should our laws apply to everyone equally? Is that fair? I think we should enforce the law only for people we don't like.
What was I thinking? Obviously, if he robbed a liquor store, he should get off with probation because he volunteers.
When I was a kid, if my dad would have read this lengthy article as written he would have exploded. "Who cares if he's a nice guy! He broke the law!" Then again, when I was a kid no reporter in his right mind would have written the article this way. If at all. It would be in the "Local Crimes" section and more along the lines of "Scofflaw Fined for Messy Yard". No interviews with anyone. None needed. What could they say that would possibly make a difference?
F the law. You don't believe in private property. if the neighbors didn't like they should talk to him about it not call the police. It is not a crime to let grass grow. It is nature.
It is not a crime to let grass grow. It is nature. It's hard to imagine that these small towns couldn't hire kids in the summer to do mowing on untended property. Unless there are acres involved, you could keep it mowed for a few hundred a couple of times during the growing season. $1700 seems very punitive. Of course, we don't know the size of the lot (or acreage).
There's a lot we don't know about the story. My guess is that if people knew all the facts they wouldn't be as sympathetic. Which is why these types of stories are written the way they are. The $1700 could be multiple fines plus penalties for non-payment. Like unpaid parking tickets, it's amazing how quickly the total increases.
Screw parking tickets. We already paid for the roads with our taxes.
Some parking ordinances are to create fairness, so selfish slobs, in inner city zoos (like NYC) don't hog all the parking spaces and use it like a personal driveway. Other parking laws are designed to allow for street cleaning and plowing in the winter. Most town, city and village governments that want to just generate income will just put parking meters up. There are valid reasons for many ordinaces... not saying those reasons haven't been capitalized on by tax and spend liberals as a money pit. It's hard to just blanket say "screw parking tickets". I play music trivia in a village about 15 miles away from me. They don't have parking laws on main street. This past winter, there was 3 foot tall solid ice piles of snow between the parking spots... because lazy tool bags park their car for days during a snow storm and the highway department is powerless to force a car to move so the snow can be plowed. Laws and ordinaces are for the assholes that you or I would punch in the head if there were no laws.
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#4. To: TooConservative (#1)
#5. To: misterwhite (#4)
Is that fair? I think we should enforce the law only for people we don't like.
#7. To: TooConservative (#5)
"Obviously, if he robbed a liquor store, he should get off with probation because he volunteers."
#8. To: misterwhite (#7)
(Edited)
"Who cares if he's a nice guy! He broke the law!"
#12. To: A K A Stone, misterwhite (#8)
if the neighbors didn't like they should talk to him about it not call the police.
#13. To: TooConservative (#12)
"$1700 seems very punitive. Of course, we don't know the size of the lot (or acreage)."
#17. To: misterwhite (#13)
Like unpaid parking tickets, it's amazing how quickly the total increases.
#18. To: A K A Stone (#17)
Screw parking tickets
Replies to Comment # 18.
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