Housing Bubble, credit bubble, public planning, land use, zoning and transportation in the exurban environment. Specific criticism of smart growth, neotradtional, forms based, new urbanism and other top down planner schemes to increase urban extent and density. Ventura County, California specific examples.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Greater Freedom
When I was a kid on the 4th of July the municipality would let the kids light and toss firecrackers, cherry bombs and M-80s into the playground sandbox. Today, $1000 fine for and firework of any kind.
As a teen the drinking age was 18 and driving age was 16 with no restrictions. Today the drinking age is 21 and teen driving has curfews and limits to passengers.
Seat belts are for your safety. On and on. Good thing we use today to celebrate our freedoms unlike those repressive Chicomms like those pictured above. Perhaps it is time for some old fashioned exercise of liberty.
And let us not forget why we fight for our freedom.
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13 comments:
I'm hosting a "Casey Serin Greatest Hits" talkcast tonight (July 4) at 9:00 PM Eastern Time.
I'll be playing the best moments of the Casey saga and also take some calls from listeners.
Casey Serin Greatest Hits Talkcast
As a teen the drinking age was 18 and driving age was 16 with no restrictions. Today the drinking age is 21 and teen driving has curfews and limits to passengers.
I'm reminded of this recent study:
"The United States, which has been driving much of the world's drug research and drug policy agenda, stands out with higher levels of use of alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis, despite punitive illegal drug policies, as well as (in many U.S. states), a higher minimum legal alcohol drinking age than many comparable developed countries," they added
While I think our drug laws are absurd, I don't have a problem with firework fine given the fact that we have well over 1000 wildfires burning in California.
The freedom I miss the most is the Freedom to Fail.
A $1000 fireworks fine is nothing considering this:
Hundreds of blazes have ravaged sections of parched California over the last two weeks, burning more than 500,000 acres, destroying homes and other property, and costing the already budget-challenged state more than $50 million in firefighting expenses.
The thing that surprises me about my corner of California is that, by and large, people actually obey the no-fireworks laws. I don't know what to make of it. I've lived in other areas that banned fireworks, and there were still lots of fireworks.
@Ogg,
They seem to be ignoring the law in Stinson and Bolinas.
Oh, BTW
Happy Fourth and Fishnet Friday™!
I brought a whole carload of fireworks back from Pahrump and got a whole shopping bag of gnarly m-80s from TJ. The party begins in 1 hour!
In NH, we can buy all the fireworks we want at local stores.
Mass runs signs warning of fines and jail for possession on roads leading to NH. Pinheads in Maine were talking of planting cops and radioing license numbers back to hq for those daring to purchase fireworks in NH. Too bad the current NH governor doesn't have the balls ex-gov Sunnunu did when Mass tried that spy stuff with alcohol. Sunnunu said he would arrest any of them on tresspassing charges and throw away the key.
Bottom line:
Nobody got blown up yesterday. Guess we must be much smarter/responsible than your neighbors Dawg. Our reps understand we can take care of ourselves.
People deserve the government they elect.
Live Free or Die
(state motto)
h.
3:32 AM
How wel I remember the Sunnunu incident. He was serious. Kalifornia is different. They don't seem to think of constitutions as anything more than suggestions. The budget was due last week and we are more than a month away. That budget is supposed to be balanced, no chance. We are all required to use headsets for our cel phones in the car because of the distraction. The erosion of rights is relentless. The fireworks one being yet another bit of protecting us from ourselves.
The one that needles me is the helmet requirement for scooters. They are only 2 inches off of the ground.
OK, Mass had a fatality on the 4th.
Guy in Palmer was lighting fireworks when he did not get out of the road and a passing car ran him over.
Fireworks do not kill. Stupidity kills..
h.
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