Ah, Chapel Hill. The town is a constant source of activity and council decisions that give us a clear view of the leftist ideology that favors central planning and the so-called collective good over the rights of individuals. Remember this summer’s restrictions on the use of leaf blowers? In Chapel Hill it’s against the law for residents to use powered lawn equipment before 8 am and after 7 pm on weekdays, and before 9 am and after 5 pm on weekends. No joke, folks. And that was a compromise. The town originally wanted to ban them completely.
This week’s installment comes from Tuesday’s Raleigh News and Observer in a story with this appropriate headline: “Council hands out wins and losses.” Sadly, that seems to be exactly what the town council thinks it’s there to do.
Just ask Ha Ngo, one of the people profiled in this story. Ngo wanted to build two houses in Chapel Hill, but the town considers the project a “major subdivision.” You guessed it. Along with the bureaucratic designation comes all sorts of costly rules and regulations. So Ngo loses, as do the people looking for housing options in Chapel Hill.