rachels.haven's Journal

[Baymule]

This town needs a class action lawsuit with EVERYONE signed up, suing the town, plus INDIVIDUALS suing the mayor and town council PERSONALLY for their dictatorship. A personal lawsuit kicks the crap out of the persons responsible for this travesty of justice and infringement on the people’s fundamental rights.

 

[rachels.haven]

I get the impression that's the direction we'd go if Mark and the kids didn't have unmet needs. I honestly hope some does it.

The sadder thing is, we're not even who this is aimed at. There are a lot of older farmers, well advanced into their "prime" years who want to farm until the day they die on equipment they've had and maintained forever and they are farming hay and cattle here on land they've gradually bought over the years to make their retirement income to get by. That seems to be who the town is targeting. They want those people gone and to sell to the developers-yesterday. (And loose chickens+eggs for sale and barking dogs just remind everyone this is still country and they don't like that)

Ordinances like this are starkly against the state's right to farm law, so I hope for the long timers' I've met's sake someone with a legit business steps up and takes on the town.

 

[SageHill]

*warning, complaining ahead*
Man, watching my "town" fall is really sad. Photos snuck from the planning commission's workshop on the new ordinance have surfaced, thanks to a lady who runs a local apothecary. The mayor and aldermen really want to get this ban on animal agriculture through before they get booted from office this election. They added more restrictions on even just the 6 chickens we're allowed for personal use, an acreage minimum, minimum space per animal and added excessive and condescending and misleading "where as" statements that "explain" the law, but those are not legally binding according to TN law, only the meat of the law is so unless it says "residential properties" in the actual meat of the law it applies to everyone. The ordinance gets presented for time #1 on the 25th. We don't vote on it. If they let us have voice we can speak. The mayor and aldermen get all the say and they are helping to write it. They are NOT country folk and are totally ignorant to animals. We're on our way out but I'll probably have to sell some goats or get cited if this passes or pay a lawyer and sue the town (yes, on our way out) because I'm only allowed 6 chickens and 24 goats and the chickens have to be enclosed in a structure with a roof and a bunch of other things and during kidding and grow out season I have more than 24 goats(!). Also no more meat wethers. I'd also have to let Bailey and Riker go, as would everyone with LGD's and there are a lot of us, as they bark and that would not be allowed anymore. And I'd have to chop my roosters. (My roosters sound like rubber chickens from Amazon. I don't keep the loud nasty ones. My gander, on the other hand...not in the ordinance) I'm seeing a total betrayal of their constituency and brazen display of lack of candor from our town govt.

Meanwhile the mayor is complaining about a lack of volunteers to run her egg hunt and barrel fest (vendor fest actually), but accepts only hand picked volunteers out of those that step up and boy does she claim to want a lot of people for a town that isn't really a town and then she goes after us for not enough of the right people that she wants standing up. The Easter egg hunt and Vendor fest aren't happening and clearly it's the townspeople's fault.

This got nasty really fast.

Man, people stink!

Also, adulting also stinks, I don't want to spend a small fortune on a home. I like financial security and being super close to being out of debt in my 30's.

*Okay, complaining over.*

Presenting the ordinance time #1 is supposed to happen in 5 days. We're going-or probably Mark is because I doubt they'd let me with kids in and my family won't be able to sitter for me at 5:30 pm. Hopefully I get a break from new developments until next week.

*not "volunteering" for vendor fest*

House hunt continues-endless, until it's not.

That’s not complaining, that’s something that could happen to any of us if the wrong people get in office. All it takes are empty promises for agriculture that were never meant to be fulfilled and then replaced with what was a hidden agenda. Impeach the mayor- seriously that person and their cronies need to go.

 

[farmerjan]

I think that a call to your representative is warranted.... who is the rep in the state house for your area... make them aware of what is happening... they might be interested in taking on the role of a possible class action of some sort against the town...
I thought Va was a little crazy... with DC being a "part" of Va.... but we have a good governor right now...

 

[Mini Horses]

That VA gov is reportedly eyeing the White House. Wish it was for 2024 -- a better candidate that what's currently "proposed".

Maybe some of your local farmers could come together for a lawsuit and/or involve some of the state reps, as well as the legal groups supporting farm laws.

 

[rachels.haven]

I think that a call to your representative is warranted.... who is the rep in the state house for your area... make them aware of what is happening... they might be interested in taking on the role of a possible class action of some sort against the town...
I thought Va was a little crazy... with DS being a "part" of Va.... but we have a good governor right now...

Thanks. I'll chat with the other half about this later today. If he thinks this is a good idea we'll do that. Some of these people that will suffer from this are my acquaintances and they deserve better than to have their way of life taken away. They're the way this area was when I lived here as a kid and it's gut wrenching to see them being deliberately stomped out.

 

[farmerjan]

Corrected it to say DC as the part of Va that is full of nut cases

 

[rachels.haven]

I planted farmer Jan's idea on one of the fB threads and now it's being repeated. I think a few of the impacted are mad enough to do it. DH thinks our rep is a clown and would side with the town, so I'm not sure it will do much, but a reporter is now involved and is doing a story. Not sure how that's going to go. A quick amusing thing: One of the townies or possibly alder(wo)men claim the ordinance is to protect them if their neighbor has 50 pigs in a subdivison and they let them run lose and eat and poo on their lawn...county laws already covers that. No running at large for any domestic animal allowed. Duh. Also, I'd be surprised if you can find 50 pigs in our town. They're trying really hard to fear monger so they can control their neighbors. It's mostly chickens, cows and hair sheep, maybe a few goats besides mine but due to parasites goats are hard to keep here without the things I'm doing and that makes them quite a bit less economical.

 

[rachels.haven]

We do have cow or calf out alerts on our local news, but for them it's like...if it bothers you move out of the country and go back to nashville/springfield/clarksville??? And it's usually related to an electric or barbed wire fence not working for the little or teen cows, maybe occasionally an adult so it's not like they're out all the time. And they usually stay tucked right up to their fence wanting to go back in with the other cattle and not on the road and not really annoying to drivers. IDK. I guess DH is taking us all home so this isn't my problem. Sure is nice here though.

 

[Baymule]

I hope people can band together and crush this stupidity.