NC Church Fined $4,000 for ‘Improper Tree Pruning’
- Posted on May 29, 2011 at 5:55pm by
Meredith Jessup
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The city of Charlotte, N.C., is levying fines on a local church after it says one landscaping parishioner “improperly” pruned the crape myrtle trees of Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church.
The Charlotte Observer has the details (emphasis mine):
“We always keep our trees trimmed back because you don’t want to worry about them hanging down in the way,” said [Eddie] Sales, a church member.
Eddie Sales looks over his illegal trimming (Charlotte Observer)
The church was fined $100 per branch cut for excessive pruning, bringing the violation to $4,000.
“I just couldn’t believe it when I heard about it,” Sales said. “We trim our trees back every three years all over our property, and this is the first time we have been fined.”
The fine will be dropped if the church replaces each of the improperly pruned trees, said Tom Johnson, senior urban forester for city of Charlotte Land Development Division. “When they are nonrepairable, when they have been pruned beyond repair, we will ask them to be replaced,” Johnson said. “We do that for a number of reasons but mainly because they are going to come back unhealthy and create a dangerous situation down the road.”
According to the Observer, the city of Charlotte passed a tree ordinance in 1978 deeming trees that are incorrectly pruned or topped are subject to fines. As a result, any landscaping deemed “excessive” on these trees is subject to the regulation, including trees on commercial property.
“The purpose of the tree ordinance is to protect trees,” Johnson says. “Charlotte has always been known as the city of trees. When we take down trees, we need to replace these trees.”
So how can Charlotte businesses (and churches) avoid such fines? The Observer reports that individuals who would like to trim their trees should call the city foresters for a free permit to conduct the landscape work. Additionally, the state Division of Forestry recommends tree-trimmers be certified by the National Horticultural Board.
The situation is different for trees located on private property, although the city may still fine individuals for improper pruning and rates vary from $75 per to tree to $100 per branch.
As for the Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church, its recently trimmed trees found in violation must be replaced with all new trees by October at an unknown cost to the church. Otherwise, the church will be forced to pay $4,000 in fines to the city of Charlotte.
“We trimmed back these trees in the interest of the church,” Sales said. “If we were in violation, we certainly did not know we were.”
(h/t WRAL)
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Comments (228)
NEAF
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:20pmAnd this is the land of Bill Graham, one of the greates evangelist in our time. I looked in a dictionary for the definition of stupidity: liberals. I am wondering if this tree could sue the church.
Report Post »Race
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:19pmGrab yer chainsaw & lop them puppies off even with the ground. Then drop the refuse, ie dead trees, at the forester’s office & light ‘em up.
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:16pmThe reset knob needs to be used on ALL levels of Government. A complete dictatorship government, How about if the taxpayers refused to pay taxes these complete utter morons wouldn’t have a job.
Report Post »geonj
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:08pmtoo much government control, save a human being, kill a tree hugger
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:06pmNever know when a tornado will blow through and take care of the problem.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:04pmThey pruned the trees improperly!!! But yet they want them to kill the trees by replacing them with new ones. What part of this is stupid? That‘s why I don’t want to live up North because they have no common sense up that way.
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:39pmErrmm…..just because the state has “North” in its name, it don’t make it “North.”
Report Post »Swordsmansmith
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 9:46pmWow!!! Hahahahahaaa!!! NC is below Virgina, Did you go to the obama school of geography?
Report Post »Kai Wan
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:01pmit keeps the tree’s healthy, same a a bush or a plant. these stupid ass backward morons.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:59pmAre you freaking kidding me. Fined for over pruning. Isn‘t the church private property and where does the city get off tellling people how to prune their tree’s? If this isn’t stuck on stupid, I don’t know what is?
What if you remove a tree because it is damaging your property and don’t replace it, they gonna fine you for doing this? Please, can we just get the Liberals out of office and this country will prosper again.
Report Post »johnsell
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:59pmI’d tell them to go fine a tornado, reckon the Man has some hefty fines this year for his tornado trimming…
Report Post »bigpatrick87
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:56pmthat’s pretty excessive, not even a warning. In my city though it is illegal to park you vehical on gravel on private property. Not gravle alone just when it’s on private property. A few years ago people were getting tickets and it was all over the news. The mayor seemed to think the law was swell.
Report Post »BiteMePETA
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:55pmSeperation of church and state? Not that there is such a thing, but that‘s the first argument I’d make.
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:46pmWell, as someone who used to work in landscaping and with trees, I will gladly agree that the city has a legitimate interest in ensuring that tree overhanging public ways are properly maintained. A poorly maintained tree can pose a potential hazard to public safety as much as a neglected tree — one which is crudely topped can grow back with weak limbs, which are just as likely to fall on a car or come down in a storm (like a hurricane — North Carolina here, OK?) and cause damage. Further, attractive and well maintained trees make for good property values for an entire neighborhood, not just the property they sit on.
All that said- this does sound excessive. On the other hand, if those trees in the photo have been pruned back from overhanging the road — wow. That’s some major ffnn surgery. Thats the kind of hackwork professionals look at and cringe. Again, hard to tell without before and after shots. But believe it or not, trees are like a lot of other expensive pieces of property — most of the time, it’s gonna be cheaper, in the long run, to call a professional.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 8:30amThese thing are CREPEMYRTLE! It’s nearly a damn weed. I believe the point here is OVER-REGULATION by the local sumbass government! Fines! REQUIRED REPLACEMENT! A little too restrictive- YATHINK!!! You got city mainanence crews in evey damn rathole burg in the country, getting paid to ride around in government vehicles, burning government gas, three to five in a rig, running around to check on CHURCHES bushes, and I‘ll bet you can’t see oncoming traffic in most of the interesections because the city can’t be expected to maintain the right of way! Because it would be “cost prohiobitive”. SHEESE! Yes, I have driven arund Charlotte- several times.
Report Post »dmcote77
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 11:46amI am sorry, sir, but I care not that “professionals” cringe at the “hack job” a property owner might make of trimming their OWN trees. Where I live the government pays companys to trim trees that come near to overhanging the road or power lines. They routinely top them or cut out huge sections of branches on the street side, leaving an ugly, butchered tree behind. Everyone is so risk averse or is convinced that their expertise gives them a “superior” opinion that property owners have few rights remaining. I am tired of the overreach of government at all levels. I am sick of the nanny state interjecting more and more of their nonsense into our lives. I should have a FREE CHOICE whether or not to hire an arborist to trim my trees. This is America, the land of the FREE …. or at least it used to be.
Report Post »EL CHOQUE
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:46pmOkay, here is my take on what we should start doing here in the good old US of America. First, we need 50 governors, each with a set of steel ******. Once they have the ******, they all go to D.C. & each with a copy of the Constitution, go into obummer’s office & tell him that everything he & his czars have done is against the Constitution & against STATES’ RIGHTS & they are not going to enforce them, obummer care, etc. What’s he gonna do, arrest them all?? Then, the rest of us have to start standing up to our local governments & tell them they are against our rights. Government has insinuated itself in almost every aspect of our lives & it is time for us to stop them.
Report Post »thermonator
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:39pmWow…… talk about government over reach.
Report Post »TheVOR
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:34pmUmmmmm, let’s see…our tree pruning was an expression of our religious freedom, and part of our free speech.
And to think, all this happening in the Bible Belt.
What would Charlotte government do if this was a mosque?
Report Post »el_gancho
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 11:52pmI say they need to trim the trees in the shape of a cross, and then DARE the city to say anything.
Report Post »Aaron in Polk County
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:30pmClearly NC has way too much time on their hands to make questionable laws and enforce them.
Mayb NC should pay more Federal taxes, that would take up some of their free time.
Report Post »Bonnieblue2A
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:30pmWhy is this newsworthy for the Blaze? The upper Missouri River valley is flooding from Montana to South Dakota, people are losing their homes, businesses are underwater; yet, not a bleep on the Blaze’s radar but a tree pruning is news? Good heavens!
Report Post »el_gancho
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 11:48pmPerhaps they feel that it’s news worthy because it appears to be yet another case of the government chipping away at the rights of citizens and private organizations.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 8:14amUh, Red State. Nuthin’ going on out there. Not for another 2 1/2-3 months. Nobody lives there, no oil no grain no cattle. Its totally irrelevant! BUT D A Y U M N! when the food prces take a BIG hit, you’ll see tv cameras stuck in every combine and tractor, wondering how this could have happened. Lets get our boxers in bunch about a 121 yr od man, or the attrocities of war in a MUSLIM country, or Sarah Palin riding on a bike in DC. Jeez, I sound frustrated.
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:29pmWait till the government gets hold of health care!
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:44pmThey already are, but right now the federal Government thinks I weigh 14,768 pounds, because that’s what I have my Primary write in during my yearly physical, we both get a hoot out of sticking a finger in the FEDS eyes, lol.
Report Post »jim
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:26pmYa’lls is in stupid country now.
Report Post »what4
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:08pmIf stupidity were illegal, there would be a bounty on treehuggin liberals!
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:21pmTo the church in Charlotte~~~ Your response to this harassment is not only “No! But hell no!”
Get a lawyer in your own church who will do the work for free to GOD’S GLORY and let the city of Charlotte go after the trashy night clubs and strip joints who “improperly prune or top trees”.
Report Post »JoeAmerica
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:20pmHa, thats nothing. I live in a nice suburb where you get fined if you leave your trash cans out a day past collections. My car was just towed because the city said the back right tire was on the curb. This is how we crazy Americans are. DONT think, though The Blaze is trying hard to make you believe, that this is somehow an attack on a church. This is just an example of how we as a society have become. To the church, like my city told me, lesson learned. You’ll know to cut the next year ;)
Report Post »teachermitch32
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:44pmJoe,
As I said in another post, you are a Liberatarian. That’s alright. Don’t get me wrong. I lean hard as a “Constitutionalist”. But you, sir, are an Ohbama supporter (you stated that twice before). How can you reconcile your views with his? You simply can’t. Please, for goodness sake, rethink who you support and what more freedoms you will be letting go of if you allow him to have 4 more years.
Report Post »JoeAmerica
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:20pmI have thought hard TEACHER. Obama isn’t perfect. Thank God. If he were perfect we all would seek to be perfect and loose our sense of a human being. I used to lean to the right, but they give us people like Bush. Who did nothing but take your children and money and use it to settle a family score, While his buddies in the oil company rapped this nation to the brink of total collapse. Thats not the America I grew up in and I feel a responsibility to help make this country better for future generations.
Report Post »Stopit
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:10pmHey Joe, honestly, do you even know what a socialist is?
Report Post »spilling_seeds
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:18pmthe blaze didn’t say anything about this being an attack on the church.
Report Post »JoeAmerica
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 12:57amYeah I know what a socialist is. And I don’t think our administration are a bunch of socialist. Sounds like our fight against the horrible communist. To people like you there will always be an “ist” out there, like the boggie man, looking to rob you of your precious Apple Jacks. So be afraid.. be very very afraid!
Report Post »dmcote77
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 11:48amso Joe, are you ok with being fined if you leave your trash can at the curb too long?
Report Post »JGraham III
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:19pmAre there any lawyers in Charlotte that do pro bono work that would like to take this case on? It has all the earmarkings of a landmark case in which the complete stupidity of government can be on display for even the most dense to observe. What would happen if all the churches in Charlotte decided to stand with their ‘brothers and sisters’ and prune their own trees and then refuse to pay the fine? Wouldn’t the city fathers begin to look as stupid as their laws are when they mounted a persecution against the evil christian lawbreakers?? C’mon!!! America’s house is burning down and all most are doing is fighting over who gets to hold the fire extinguisher.
Report Post »jackeric61
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:40pm100 % Everyone in the city should prune there trees and force them to file all the paper work and then force their hand in court. How will the local gov’t going to handle all those cases? Holy c**p how much longer are we as Americans going to put up with this nonsense. It appears to me that every dope in the world is running for office… How sad
Report Post »freedom4ever
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:16pmlove to see how many others had a ticket issued – is it because it is a church????
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:55pmIt has to be because I have 5 crepe myrtles in my yard and I prune them way back EVERY year. It makes them grow better and healthier. This church needs an attorney.
Report Post »GA Magnolia
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:08pmThank you! That’s what I was wondering as well! How many other violations have been sent out at per limb. No telling what I would have been fined this spring.
And WHERE, by the way, are the guidelines stating what constitutes a proper pruning? Is is written within the law? Or do they leave that to the Forestry Service?
Report Post »BlueStrat
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 6:36am@ GA_Magnolia
To answer your question, it’s the forestry business that Charlotte has contracted per the article to license tree-trimmers, and who the city recommends to use in order to not receive a fine. They go around and report “violations”.
“Gee, dem some nice trees youse got ‘dere, it‘d be a REAL shame if youse didn’t pay us to prote…I mean, “insure” youse guys against fines. I mean, fugeddaboutit, right Rocko?”
“Duh…Yeah, Boss, a shame. Youse wants me to, ya knows, rough ‘em up a lil?”
“Nah, Rocko. Dats why we kick some vig back to our “friends” in da guvmint. Dey handles da rough stuff *for* us, all legal-like. Let’s blow dis pop-stand…I hoid ’bout a synagogue a couple’a blocks ova dat got some trees…dem Jews gots lotsa loot dats just *itchin’* to buy me, my moll, an‘ da Alderman an’ his hoochie a week in Tahiti!! Maybe we‘ll buy a yacht an’ sail there! Heh heh.”
“Duh…Heh, youse a funny guy, Boss!”
Report Post »dmcote77
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 11:33am@bluestrat – ROFL. my thoughts exactly. how did we get to this place that mob tactics are now legal? God help us.
Report Post »Freedom Keeper
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:12pmI dont know, maybe its just me but this sounds very, well, I dont know, SOCIALIST
Report Post »chickenfried
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 10:09pmOh trust me, it gets even better.
The city of Charlotte will fine you if you park a vehicle on your own grass. In years past, when we went to visit my In-laws who live10 minutes from downtown, we parked in the yard, parallel to the road. But a new ordinance requires us to park in the street, where my wife’s car was hit a few weeks ago causing a few thousand dollars worth of damage that we will have to pay for since the hit-and-run driver took off.
Report Post »justateen
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:10pmWow..that’s all I got to say. Talk about stupid…
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:14pmThis goes beyond stupid…to be fined for such actions, on the churches own property is reprehensable to the core of all liberties and freedoms. I hope they challenge this in court, for there is a good chance to win it…if the code has not been enforced for such a long time, then it is not worth having…sounds like someone in their neighbourhood is wanting to make trouble.
Report Post »theonefromabove
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:14pmSeems a bit stupid to me too.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:18pmOtherwise, the church will be forced to pay $4,000 in fines to the city of Charlotte.
Report Post »——————–
What do those City authorities plan to do with that fine ?
Will THEY be planting the new trees with this money ?
If so , then why is taxpayer money being allocated to those authorities for the same purpose ?
poverty.sucks
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:21pmTake the City to Court. This is the same city that conducted 6 month investigation into strip clubs to see if girls were revealing themselves. How many jobs saved or created?
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:21pmJohnson says. “Charlotte has always been known as the city of trees. When we take down trees, we need to replace these trees.”
Report Post »———————
Errrr..Johnson , they PRUNED a tree. Its totally different from TAKING DOWN a tree. Or its all the same for a moonbat ******* idiot like you Johnson ?
poverty.sucks
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:26pmThe city solution is to take down the tree and plant another one, like, a smaller one without the growth, which is why they pruned the tree?
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:30pmSo if a Hurricane or Tornado takes down a bunch of trees, will they be asking the Feds to replace them ?
Report Post »american1st
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:30pm“Abolition of private property means the concentration of property in far fewer hands than before,but with this difference,that the new owners were a group instead of a mass of individuals.”
Report Post »- 1984,George Orwell
cheezwhiz
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:35pmLOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Report Post »So if a Hurricane or Tornado takes down a bunch of trees, will they be asking the Feds to replace them ?
—————
Ssshhhhh…plz don’t give them any ideas :P
Enuff Zenuff
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:36pmCity of trees?
Report Post »Is there any where I can move that calls itself a city of Rights?
How ’bout a city of Freedoms?
If I were the pastor, I’d pull up roots and move the trees and the church to Sandy Springs GA.
BetterDays
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 6:41pmII wonder what the fine is for improper forester pruning? Or improper Alderman pruning?
Seems to me that the tree huggers could stand a good pruning as well, and a haircut.
Gosh guess what happens if your grass is too long/short/dry/wet/green/yellow/brown/dead/dandelions/Et Al ?
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:00pmNational Horticultural Board.
this board lobbied the local government for this regulation which help force consumers to pay them for the job instead of doing it themselves thus saving them from prosecution…………which they themselves go around looking for violators
dont you just love government and business collusion ????
i would tell them to bite me
Report Post »Opinionmonger
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:05pmJust wait until they will tax free cpeech on the sidewalk.
Report Post »There allready are those that silence free speech anyway.
Narrow minded people that cannor handle the truth of what is happening n this once free country.
TheLascone
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:09pmCommon sense has nothing to do with North and South …. lol
Report Post »http://www.flickr.com/photos/23630227@N06/5561950059/in/photostream/
Old Truckers
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:27pmCan we imagine this kind of thing happening in the 50″s?
Report Post »We used to be free to do what we want on our own property.
Dustyluv
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:45pmGovernment regulations run amok. What idiotic people we have running our Nation, States and Cities. Time to clean house, change the rules and restore common sense.
Report Post »mill
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 7:51pmIt’s totally beyond “stpuid”… It‘s brown shirting at it’s best.
Report Post »Cherynn
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:00pmWow, just cut the trees down and grind the stumps and be done with it. Talk about socialism in action comrade!
Report Post »BuckOfama
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:26pmThe trees are Crape Myrtles which are practically weeds in the south,and they grow like weeds too…….
Report Post »Mary M. Tebbe
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:27pmopinionmonger: Well, I tried to answer your comment, but I am being censored by the moles on theblaze again, so it won’t appear. Even theblaze silences our free speech.
Report Post »papapatriot
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:35pmIf the citizens had been doing their duty and overseeing the city government this would not have happened. It is little things like this that we must stop because little freedoms lost lead to bigger freedoms lost until they are all gone! IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERY PATRIOT TO PROTECT HIS COUNTRY FROM ITS GOVERNMENT – Thomas Paine. We must heed these words. God Bless America.
Report Post »avenger
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 8:48pmthe nuts are running the asylum….
Report Post »101
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 9:05pmTake a chainsaw and cut them off at the stump, be done with it!
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 9:05pmWho owns these trees the church or the goverment! This is goverment run amuck and something needs to be done. Oh I forgot trees and plants now have human rights!! This is way out of line and the citzens need to really think about replacing their goverment with people with commonsense. Too many laws and too much time on the hands of the idiots that are in goverment if I may say so. Too many regulations. Soon they will be telling us how much toilet paper we can use to wipe with because it takes trees to make the TP. Oh, NO, I should not have said that because someone in goverment might take it as a good suggestion!! Idiots!
http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist
Report Post »SlimnRanger
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 9:45pmThis sounds exactly what they do in Germany,this is so stupid
Report Post »demsaredumb
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:19pmIts our own fault people, we keep voting the same idiots back in to office, thank about it.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:19pmNawh, this is just a way to raise more money. There was a Walmart that had some trees in the parking lot and people started complaining they needed to be trimmed. So, Walmart called a landscaping company that does trimming, they came out and trimmed the trees. Then Walmart was hit with a huge fine for “improperly” trimming the trees, which by the way, were on private property. And then they were told they had to take the trees out and replace them on top of the fine. It’s a scam.
I can understand wanting to protect trees that are on city property. However, I’ve got some serious questions about planning and zoning commissions that determine how many trees should be on private property and how they should be trimmed.
Report Post »demsaredumb
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:21pmWho let the city morons onto the church property to count how many branches had been cut?
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:22pmThe church is guilty of crepemurder… they get away with only a fine…
Report Post »thebarbarian
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 11:07pmthis smells of un agenda 21. and it stinks really bad.
p.s. just realized it’s you just a teen… not picking fun at you. was a good conversation the other day. have a good one.
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 11:55pmSo much for PRIVATE PROPERTY rights. The church should tell them NO. If the city wants to control trees, it should buy some of their own and leave everyone alone.
Report Post »Wayner
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 1:13amI would like to propose another “enviromentalist” solution. I propose we take some tar (from NC pine trees) and some feathers (from our state bird, the Cardinal) and give this bureaucrat an all natural coating.
Report Post »flagman texas marine
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 1:59amWhat happened to seperation of church & state??????????
Report Post »staythecourse
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 2:37amTrees before people. of course… what could be more natural. After all…mother nature is (or will be) now a being with the same rights as every human on the planet. “she” is your “mother” after all.
The ever maddening appetite of the “green dragon” of environmentalism gone wild!
Report Post »GODSAMERICA
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 3:40amWell, it looks like the city of Charlotte needs to sent back to home to commie land now. They need to tell them idiots to take a flying leap. Then take them to court for stupid and irresponsible laws like that. I have a feeling IF they can find an honest judge then the city will get slapped down like the wannabe Chicago bullies that they are trying to be.
Report Post »No1YaKnow
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 4:09amEco-moonbattery in action. Welcome to hell.
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 6:24amReal stoopid.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 10:08amOK, Charlotte, let the trees grow, let the branches become heavy and laden with leaves. Then when a severe thunderstorm comes along, let one of the branches fal on a car and kill someone. City of Charlotte, wouldn’t you be proud if that?
Here you have another case of the Nanny State mentality encroaching on the rights of private property (The church’s). Trouble is that this is in an area of the country where individual rights should be honored.
If this was in Berkley, San Fransisco or any other California city, this would be understandable, but Charlotte, NC?
Report Post »wildbill_b
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 10:14am@flagman texas marine
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 1:59am
What happened to seperation of church & state??????????
There is no such thing and never was. Only the utter benighted ignorance of the average person allows such ridiculous claims to be made. Jefferson’s “a wall of separation between church and state,” as written in a letter to the Danbury Baptists Association in 1802 and today the government has distorted the concept so badly that schools teach it is in the Constitution. This is of course absolutely absurd. A simple reading of the text shows that he merely pointed out that Government could not establish NOR prevent ANY religion, nothing more.
Report Post »oldoldtimer
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 10:21amWhen is America going to say enough?
Report Post »FuturePresident
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 2:32pmThis is not freedom. This is oppression. This is tyranny. Good Job America….
Report Post »Rightsofman
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 3:01pmLiberalthink allowed to tun wild again.Was any sane person awake when this ordinance was up for a vote? ITmust have been one of those libdem middle-of-the-night things.done before you knew about it. It is not about preserving foliage its about how much you can control the sheep before they start to bleet. Land of the free hummph.
Report Post »getalong
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 4:54pmThe most troubling part of this story is that the trees are owned by the church NOT the city. Government intrusion has no limits in Obamaland.
Report Post »SonOfaCommunist
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 7:03pmIts not stupid at all. Its brilliant. Frustrate the common population with idiotic fines, laws, regulations to the point that they begin to account out. And then, clamp down on all of them. Sounds crazy, I KNOW, but its the only conclusion that seems to make any sense. I hope I’m way off!
Report Post »kouklee1@hotmail
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 11:28pmI wonder if we can fine the incompetent city council and mayor, for beeing idiots,i got news for them the trees dont vote and dont pay taxes and trees on city property belong to the people because its public property, not the mayors property, i like to go there and tell the city employees that we the people since WE are your boss we have to cut back on the expences so from here on out there will be only one toilet to use for both men and wome, and only one roll of paper per day.
Report Post »And if you go to the bathroom more then 2 times you will be charged$5.
independentvoteril
Posted on May 31, 2011 at 12:37amAny insects like to eat these trees??? maybe letting some lose would SHUT UP the idiots when ALL the trees are DEAD instead.. It’s the OWNERS choice of how to prune the trees he owns.. NOT the towns.. WHAT if he had NEVER planted the trees to begin with..?
Report Post »RebelSon
Posted on May 31, 2011 at 2:48pmOk Charlotte….that’s it. Pack your stuff, we’re sending you to California. We don’t alllow such foolishness on this coast.
Report Post »nptden
Posted on May 31, 2011 at 3:25pmTime to start ‘pruning’ all the communist agencies this progressive (communist) govt has empowered.
Report Post »NES
Posted on May 31, 2011 at 3:47pmNext, a law for improperly cut hair and per hair-based fines.
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