When the authority is wrong.

I got a little ticked off today when I was at work.  The person I was working with had written a landowner a ticket.  I had to go out to investigate something that had been impacted by some illegal happening (how’s that for being ambiguous).  During the inspection I asked many questions.  The first one was why this even qualified for a ticket.  The person I was with said that it was dusk when he was out looking around.  He didn’t have all the information to explain any of what he saw.  Instead of asking the landowner or doing some additional investigation, he wrote the ticket that night and mailed it off the next morning.  A week or two went by and he went out again.  At that time he realized that it wasn’t really his jurisdiction.  Then he told me that since the landowner didn’t know that the ticket was an error he was going to continue with the charade and continue to ask for things the landowner needs to do to fix what the landowner did. 

I asked why he couldn’t take the ticket back.  He said that he couldn’t take it back.  He would have to wait until they went to court, if it went that far.  Then if the landowner complained he wouldn’t have anything to back up his ticket so it would be dismissed. What do you mean, if it goes that far?  If you realized you ticketed someone and you were wrong you shouldn’t push it further.  This conversation was none of my business of course but I had to continue to ask. 

We were to look at something that is my expertise.  Did this landowner mess this other thing up?  Yes he did.  It was obvious, but again, where is your authority?  The person I was with didn’t have the authority but again since the landowner didn’t really know who had authority the landowner is going to comply. 

If the person had done something wrong, and I’m not saying he didn’t, should you contact the proper authority and have them deal with it?  Sure except the proper authority doesn’t care.  This doesn’t mean that “we” should be continuing to pursue this.  It’s wrong.  If the proper authority doesn’t care then you bring it to the local officials.  If they don’t care then you bring it up the line to congressional leaders.  You don’t fake it and pretend you have authority. 

Confused?  I’ll make up a silly story.  Let’s pretend a city cop from Anchorage Alaska was in Los Angeles for a training class.  In Anchorage they have an ordinance that states you can’t paint your house yellow.  While in LA he sees a yellow house.  He goes to the landowner and writes a fix-it ticket stating that the house can’t be yellow.  Instead of the landowner coming back and saying that it’s legal to have yellow houses in LA, the landowner doesn’t know any better and paints his house blue.  I was asked to verify that the house was originally yellow.  Of course it is yellow, but so what?  You, Mr. Anchorage cop don’t have the authority to tell the person he can’t have a yellow house. 

My day went something like that.  I don’t really know what I can do about it other than go over this guys head.  I may do so.  Tomorrow will be interesting.  I am working on a completely different project and spending the day with the person who got the ticket.  I can’t say anything about anything to that person.  Then I’d be in trouble. 

At least I didn’t get shot at today.

Some interesting news today:

A pot farm of 54 acres was raided this morning.  About 40 people have been arrested so far.  The plants were being grown as a regular row crop on local farmland.  The plants were 20 feet from the road but the perimeter fence had tarps over the fence so people couldn’t see the crops from the road.  I guess the farmer forgot about the aircraft that fly over.  Not too smart to be right under the flight path of the local airport. 

NYPD is proud to announce they now have 2000 cameras on line in portions of lower and midtown Manhattan.  They expect another 1000 to come on line prior to Sept. 11.  It’s called their Ring of Steel and is supposed to keep an eye out for terrorist activity and common criminals. 

There was a near riot yesterday in LA when 3000 people showed up for an impromptu block party that was tweeted by someone who was in a movie premiere. 

What does this have to do with prepping?  I am a law abiding citizen who encourages my kids and grandkids to be a law abiding citizen.  We’ve discussed civil disobedience and how that can be used for the good but you have to be very careful.  You can find yourself locked up or dead.  If TSHTF more people are going to be hit with out of control government officials who are doing things that they are not supposed to be doing. Those in authority are not always right.   Just another reminder to stay out of crowds and big cities, if possible.   

Oh I almost forgot.  Another bad evening for squirrels around here.  Two shots, two dead.  My old eyes were working pretty well tonight.