Longtime pumpkin patch owner runs afoul of Yolo

Sacramento Bee ^ | 10/26/07 | Blair Anthony Robertson

[placerville]

Bob Kirtlan says Yolo County conducted a "Gestapo" raid on his 1,000-acre property, and he's fighting back against criminal charges.

[placerville]

Another gem from the SacBee.

[SandRat]

And those charges?

They could be summed up this way: operating a pumpkin patch without a permit.

[alancarp]

Good grief!

[Kay Ludlow]

The Sacrament Bee reporter seems to share a sense of outrage at how this farm is being treated by government. I find that interesting, because at my local McClatchy newspaper, they are 100% behind government regulating and controlling everything, and in fact look for stories where it appears enforcement is lax. They are outraged when a business comes up with a creative way to let people know who they are, like hanging a sign inside the front window, when the sign ordinance clearly restricts signage to 120 sq inches of lettering on an appropriately sized backing (covering exterior signage). They don’t seem to understand that in a transient town it’s a GOOD thing to have clear signs showing where businesses are - it reduces accidents when people aren’t trying to figure out where that business is. Here they are anti-capitalist, pro-socialist-government, pro-regulation all the way.

[freekitty]

It’s taken the Yolo Council 25 years to figure out this guy didn’t get permits or a license?

[Muleteam1]

It's everywhere. I was told last month that I needed a permit to tear down a dilapidated old storage building on my property. This is in west Texas.

BTW, the building is down and gone. So far no fine but I'm waiting.

[sbMKE]

It took 25 years for the pumpkin patch to be a serious underperformer taxwise.

[lapster]

Interestingly enough, I live very near the most famous pumpkin patch in American history. You might say, it’s the pumpkin patch that helped catapault Richard Nixon into prominence. Any Freeper guesses as to the lore and locale of the pumpkin patch?

[snippy_about_it]

Just tell them the wind blew it over and you had to haul away the remainder.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Alger Hiss. Whittaker Chambers’ Maryland farm

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hiss/pumpkinp.html

[placerville]

Whittaker Chambers’ Pumpkin Patch

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?tip_AttractionNo==620

[LibFreeOrDie]

“Kirtlan, 56, has been running the show at the Silver Bend Pumpkin Patch for 25 years without incident.”

I’m guessing some brother-in-law of a local pol wants to force the guy out and get the land cheap.

[lapster]

No more calls please — we have two winners! By the way,Whittaker Chambers’ son, John, still lives on the famous pumpkin patch farm. Great guy.

[The Working Man]

“I’m guessing some brother-in-law of a local pol wants to force the guy out and get the land cheap.”

That’s the first thing that came to mind. It’s an excuse for a Land Grab by the County.

[Tanniker Smith]

Best. Response. Ever.

[darkangel82]

The politicians who do this should be thrown under the jail.

[river rat]

Kalifornia doesn’t have enough REAL criminals, corrupt politicians, illegal aliens, illegal drug factories, “grass” farms, speeders, drunken drivers, uninsured motorists, pedophiles, teachers who can’t keep their hands off young students, burglars, rapists, gang bangers, armed robbers..............etc, etc, etc.....

So they have to go after Farmers raising pumpkins in PLAIN SIGHT....

Some folks refuse to admit that Kalifornicate is falling apart......and swirling the toilet bowel...
I’ve seen 30 years of constant DECLINE..
I shudder to think how much worse it can get, and how much faster the decline will come....

Time to leave, I believe.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

This is the week for pumpkin patches to cause trouble for politicians. Here in Iowa a bureaucrat decided that it was not fair for pumpkins not to be taxes as most of them are used for decorations. A buyer could bypass the tax by filling out a form stating that the pumpkins would be used for eating.

One problem was that no one knew about the new tax and didn't have time to collect it.

Anyway, there was a national uproar and the guv rescinded the tax. It was hilarious.

[359Henrie]

Punkin’s or MS-13. Once again the tough choice is made.

[mupcat]

This is a real shame. My husband sold some property for him on the coast a few years ago. Nice conservative family.