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Re: [Fwd: help, taking care of the earth is becoming illegal!]
- To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
- Subject: Re: [Fwd: help, taking care of the earth is becoming illegal!]
- From: Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>
- Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2001 09:57:32 -0700
- In-reply-to: <LYRIS-102336-5907-2001.08.10-16.09.15--mjakubal#asis.com@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
- Newsgroups: permaculture
I just became aware
of someone who is being sued (in the state of
Tennessee)
by her neighbors for "devaluation of their
land" <snip>
The idea that increasing "property value" is a Good Thing is
another one of those bizarre, never-questioned bits of suburban
irrationality. If you plan to sell your property it makes sense. But if
you don't plan to sell, or at least not for a long time, then activities
which *lower* property values in your area should be encouraged. Lower
property values = lower property taxes and more affordable property.
Lowering property values indirectly promotes more stable communities
because there is less incentive to sell if (1, property taxes stay
affordable, and (2, if the price of property is so low that no one is
tempted to sell out by the promise of quick windfall profits.
Some folks in Oregon once made the suggestion that every neighborhood
could have a rotating junk yard to help lower property values and
discourage speculation and gentrification (and the ultimate raising of
taxes for everyone who chooses to stay). Each house could have it for,
say, three years, then it would move on to the next place.
The only suggestion I might have for the woman fighting
property-value-conscious neighbors is to ORGANIZE! Take the offensive by
offering tours and a free workshop on converting lawns to edible
landscapes. Find others in her area that will support her. Manipulate the
media and get an article describing how great edible landscaping is.
Embarrass the uptight neighbor in the public eye for being such a
busybody and intruding on her rights! Depending on how productive the
site is, donate produce regularly to the food bank, homeless shelter or
somesuch and publicize that it came from this edible landscaping. Try and
find a sympathetic lawyer who will work pro bono. If that's not possible,
forget fighting it in court and fight it in the "court of public
opinion"--the media, the streets, etc. If she can find enough
sympathizers, it might be possible to put enough pressure on the neighbor
to drop the lawsuit. Gene, when you find out more details, email me
off-list and I might have some specific ideas. I love these kind of
fights because they're usually easier to win than it might at first
seem.
Mikal