Julie Bass of Oak Park Faces Misdemeanor Charge for Vegetable Garden (in front yard, video)

Fox 2 ^ | 6/30/2011 | Fox 2

[Dallas59]

OAK PARK, Mich. (WJBK) - "The price of organic food is kind of through the roof," said Julie Bass.

So, why not grow your own? However, Bass' garden is a little unique because it's in her front yard.

"We thought it'd be really cool to do it so the neighbors could see. The kids love it. The kids from the neighborhood all come and help," she said.

Bass' cool garden has landed her in hot water with the City of Oak Park. Code enforcement gave her a warning, then a ticket and now she's been charged with a misdemeanor.

"I think it's sad that the City of Oak Park that's already strapped for cash is paying a lot of money to have a prosecutor bothering us," Bass told FOX 2's Alexis Wiley.

[John Galt's cousin]

BS

Some might call Organic Gardeners a cult. Perhaps they could develop an argument that there is a religious component and so must be protected by the First Amendment. Perhaps it is a form of expression, also protected

The City’s actions sure seem to exceed any reasonable restriction upon their use of their land (assuming they own it and they are not selling the produce)

Have they started a defense fund?

[EVO X]

There’s nothing unsightly or unattractive about that front yard. Its actually quite neat and tidy

Looks like Hooterville. If it is a code violation, rip it out. Cities regulate fence height, grass height, parking on front lawns, etc..

[John Galt's cousin]

Great quote!

[Mrs. Don-o]

An Oak Park official enforcing a city code represents a HOA? Horn of Africa? Hearts of Artichoke? Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

[lewislynn]

That's not what we want to see in a front yard," said Oak Park City Planner Kevin Rulkowski.

Oh dear, there go those wacky Republicans with their silly control freak rules again....< /sarcasm >

[don-o]

Well yes. As A matter of fact, Bob Dylan DOES know it all!!!

Well, the job that you used to have
They gave it to somebody down in El Salvador
The unions are big business, friend
And they’re goin’ out like a dinosaur
They used to grow food in Kansas
Now they want to grow it on the moon and eat it raw
I can see the day coming when even your home garden
Is gonna be against the law

(Union Sundown - from Infidels - 1983)

[Tweeker]

Love the Ferris quote and love these ones too:

Bob Dylan 1983 “I can see the day coming when even your home garden is gonna be against te law”

Bob Dylan 2002: “The only power the government has is to crack down on criminals. When there aren’t enough criminals, you make them. You make so many things a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? You pass laws that can’t even be observed or enforced or even objectively interpreted. You create a nation of lawbreakers and then you cash in on the guilt. That is the system - that is the game. “

[Graybeard58]

One of my neighbors even has several horses.

You better hope he doesn't get any roosters.

[madison10]

It looks really nice...she should have just put flowers around the boxes and no one would have been the wiser.

[scrabblehack]

The Food Channel showed someone in Brooklyn with quite a garden...I would not have thought it was possible. I thought, “hey, he should go into business with Joey Meatballs” (one of the losers on America’s Next Great Restaurant).

[Jack Hammer]

You vill NOT grow die vegetables in ze yard!

Vat is wrong mit you? You tink das constitution means your land belong to YOU???

[goodnesswins]

Soooo...the city would rather she....
have GRASS...so that she can
use more water, use more herbicides, use more fertilizers, use more Mexican lawn care people.....She needs to just finish the job, and plant MORE vegetables and flowers until you can’t see the brown.....and then tell the CITY to go pound sand. At least she doesn’t have broken down cars and junk in the yard....sheesh. (I’ve been associated with HOA’s....they are like little city governments...and SOME members ARE Nazi like)

[Mygirlsmom]

Soft on crime, my neighbors are -— thank God.

And honest too, apparently.....there are some places where a front yard garden might be an invitation to pilfer.

[Red_Devil 232]

"They ( Liberals ) don't have (anything) else to do (if) they're going to take her to court for a garden," said neighbor Ora Goodwin.

Liberals are exactly what HOA's are made of! The typical, "I am better than you elites and they know better what you should be doing than you do."

[Cruising Speed]

HOA = Home Owners Association

[Pilated]

Well if you do a image search for front yard vegetable gardens you get mass photos.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"That's not what we want to see in a front yard," said Oak Park City Planner Kevin Rulkowski.

Agenda 21, which all City Planners consider to be the bible, doesn't want people to be able to grow their own food at all so that when the time comes they can be starved off the face of the earth to create the Walden paradise the ruling class deserves.

[Roccus]

So, Mr. Zimmerman lifted from Miss Rand.

[factoryrat]

The code enforcement clowns go after the easy targets. All of this over a raised bed garden? Plant a few flowers and call it a botanical garden.

[factoryrat]

The code enforcement clowns go after the easy targets. All of this over a raised bed garden? Plant a few flowers and call it a botanical garden.