Local Governments Crack Down On The Monstrous Evil of Tiny Free Lending Libraries

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It also makes sense. deregulated activities can be detrimental. Who's responsible for keeping things tidy? What about "trading" hours? Does it attract criminals? In my town there are people who practise "take a plant, leave a fridge" in our streets. It's criminal and with good cause. The cities/governments can only deregulate something like these mini-library projects once people actually create them and ask to be deregulated. Otherwise abandoning your property in a public place means you are no different from the other fly-tippers...

I don't think anyone is "wrong" here, it's just a matter of ironing out technicalities...

It’s good to know that people are focusing on what’s really important. Local governments in a few different U.S. cities and towns have looked past the problems of homelessness, crumbling city services and displacement, to tackle the real crisis: people are putting up tiny “take a book, leave a book” libraries.

Dealing with a code violation such as this, and comparing it to homelessness is a bit lopsided, if you ask me...

I have never done the same, lol... :whistle:

The power to require permits is the power to prevent something from ever existing.

Uh, lol, ok...

So, ordinates against the homeless have prevented it?

One might do well to remember that io9 is a member of the Gawker network, and as such, is hardly a stranger to hyperbole and, well let's just say it: clickbait.

I'm with ren on this one.

It may be hyperbolic clickbait, but it does do what it was intended to do. Point out silly frivolities in what local governments concern themselves with. I get what everyone is saying, but sometimes it does seem like the government (at all levels) picks out small useless things with which to waste it's time on before addressing larger issues. Personally I feel like that's all the article is attempting to say.

Goken wrote: It may be hyperbolic clickbait, but it does do what it was intended to do. Point out silly frivolities in what local governments concern themselves with. I get what everyone is saying, but sometimes it does seem like the government (at all levels) picks out small useless things with which to waste it's time on before addressing larger issues. Personally I feel like that's all the article is attempting to say.

Sometimes it seems like these small issues are just busy work they slab in to keep from seeming inactive.

But at the same time I do undestand there are some intricacies to why these things are regulated that goes a little beyond my common knowledge.

*sigh*

It is frustrating that there are things I don't understand that go into what one might call "bigger"decisions. I suppose the line is set by me as far as what I trust my governing bodies to do.

I think my attention is better served looking at my immediate community and trying to improve that. It is the only community I can say I have any level of expertise in, after all.

the vast majority of small things local governments focus on "regulating" would more appropriately be viewed as fundraising...the fees, taxes, fines, etc...all income...

RyuJin wrote: the vast majority of small things local governments focus on "regulating" would more appropriately be viewed as fundraising...the fees, taxes, fines, etc...all income...

Well, yes, to some degree...

Without the money, there's no services...

However, seldom is our discussions about money...

Mostly its the "goings on" in the village...

I'm over Public Works, so I report on those happenings... Road issues, branch pickups, potholes, equipment repairs...

Then there's Police, Residential Building Permits, Commercial Building Permits, FOIA, Public Health, and Parks...

Money is seldom discussed as much as other things, unless we are spending it...

We do have the "money makers" set up, but without state and federal money, we would have a whole lot less, as our "money makers" wouldn't float the village by themselves....

rugadd wrote: *sigh*

It is frustrating that there are things I don't understand that go into what one might call "bigger"decisions. I suppose the line is set by me as far as what I trust my governing bodies to do.

I think my attention is better served looking at my immediate community and trying to improve that. It is the only community I can say I have any level of expertise in, after all.

HAMMER-->NAIL

Do any of us really think that our vote for president (or whatever the supreme leader of your country calls his/herself) will make a difference? The only real change that you and I can effect is at the local level, but that's enough because if each of us works to make our little piece of the pie better, the whole world becomes better because of it!