Opus 2026-157: The Blues

We all know about the epidemic of blue cities, but we tend to think of big cities when it comes to the blue color.  Unfortunately, even the midsize cities are becoming metropolitan areas.  You pretty much have to move far out of town to get away from the crazies.

Part of the epidemic is in the new developments, all of which seemed to have HOA organizations.  I have yet to find anybody that really likes them and yet they are prevalent everywhere.  Most people that don’t like them tend to live in areas where they appreciate the benefit, but they get irritated when it comes down on themselves.  They want to live in a place where there are no people running businesses out of their garage with all kinds of people parking in front and coming in to buy things.  They want to live in neighborhoods where people are not allowed to park their broken down cars on the front lawn.  They want people to be required to keep their yards mowed.  The problem comes when you’re the one who doesn’t want to mow your lawn, has old cars, or wants to run a business.  Then the HOA is interfering with your freedom.

You can’t have it both ways.  In reality, it seems to me that HOA’s are the most basic form of democracy that exists.  That statement is made recognizing that democracy tend to lead to tyranny.  We deliberately bought in a location that didn’t have one and yet my wife has already been agitating because a guy down the hill is running a business out of his yard.  We don’t want county or city regulations and inspections on what we build or how we live.  At the same time she has been upset that somebody down the hill is not finishing their house as quickly as they should, and there are piles of materials all over the place.

Again, I repeat, you can’t have it both ways.  If you live in an area that has an HOA and you don’t like what’s happening then I would suggest getting involved.  Get elected to the board.  Make the changes that need to be done.  Get put in charge of offering citations for violations of the Doctrines and Covenants.  Become the tyrant that everyone complains about.  At that level, you probably don’t have much reason to gripe if you don’t like how things are being done.

Where we are, quit griping and let people live their lives unless they decide to park their car in your yard or their trash is blowing into your flowerbeds.  You don’t really have much to say. 

Make Daniel Boone proud.

homo unius libri