The top headline for the Asheville Citizen-Times today was, “Property Rights Spun as Detestable to Advocates.” That was the English translation, anyway. It read, “Bill would undo trout protection in Boylston Creek.”
According to the article, trout, who have rights to swim in streams unsilted by runoff from impervious development, were discovered a few years ago in Boylston Creek. Property owners, who have no rights to build on their land, were prohibited from developing land near streams, an activity that blocks the trout’s viewshed as well. Since the trout do not have a voice and people who are mad about losing equity in their real estate investments and foregoing construction plans do; government must be the great equalizer.
Most importantly, the headline is a trigger for property rights advocates to get riled, raise their voices, and beg government to let the fishies live so they can kill them for dinner.
Making about as much sense was a conversation overheard today. A person who purchases gold for a living was trying to convince a lady to sell. He said, “Sell, dummy, sell!” That was translated from his English words. He said gold was at an all-time high and, with the recovering economy, it could only lose its value. That is why somebody was paying the young man to buy gold for him – so he could invest in something that is losing its value.
That conjured generalizations of the whole hope line and sinker. How much rhetoric about the recovering economy is intentional deception to get suckers to put themselves in a weaker position?
Speaking of precious metal buyers, Asheville City Council will consider revising its second-hand good sales reporting ordinance. Any fixed location that buys or sells non-exempt second-hand goods will be expected to file electronic reports daily of what was transacted and who the seller claimed to be. People with fake ID’s of course are above the reach of the law. Mobsters rich enough to have their own refining outfits or aircraft to lift everything to Venezuela don’t have to worry about pawn shops.
Besides, I was still under the impression that the local police department made no effort to return stolen property, but just held on to it in case somebody called to ask if anything in their report had been recovered. I know somebody who had an unempty trailer stolen. He happened to see the trailer, called the police, and was told there was nothing they could do to recover it.
Wouldn’t it make more sense for the database to be posted online for the vendors to check what is being sold them so they could call the police before the transaction goes down?
