Letter to the Editor
Some time ago the City of Quitman adopted a new building and maintenance code. This is a very lengthy document, quite complex and confusing, that might be good for a big city or town that has plenty of contractors and lawyers, but is totally inappropriate for a small rural town like Quitman, especially during a global pandemic.
The City of Quitman now is sending out an inspector to enforce the new law. Any homeowner who fails to comply is now a criminal. They may be fined, or their property may even be condemned that they lose their home and become homeless. Or so that is how it seems to me.
The City has condemned a number of properties, profiting from the rubbish it has loaded into trucks and hauled away. Condemning and destroying older homes, apartments, and office buildings is profitable for the City. But it can be a devastating and horrible practice for homeowners.
The condemnation property land grab law gives no incentive to investors to purchase and improve older homes, flip them, and make a profit, as it is too expensive to make older homes comply with a 21st century building code. Therefore, Quitman is losing many older homes in its rush to remove "eye sores" or unoccupied homes and buildings that just need a little TLC to restore for a family in need.
Hurt most are poor blacks, senior citizens, the impaired or impoverished, and those now unemployed because of the global pandemic and Covid-19 which is ravishing the country.
How many more will suffer because of this dumb law? Because of the racial prejudice and bias of property inspection and the hurt and harm that comes from intrusive, invasion of privacy, and/or unwarranted photography of private property or residents, that may be used for defamation and which may be a violation of other rights and liberty, a petition is being circulated on Change.org.
The petition is addressed to the City of Quitman, Board of Aldermen and may be read and signed at: http://chng.it/nkjQ58zT.
Concerned citizens who feel hurt, harmed and injured, or who feel that the City is violating their rights and liberty by sending around an inspector who is not wearing a mask, shows no picture ID or proof of vaccination, who may be a threat to health, welfare and LIFE given Covid-19 and the Delta variant that are ravaging rural Mississippi, are urged to sign the Right to Privacy and Life Petition.
Updates to the petition involve issues such as kudzu and neighbors who may have vehicles, appliances or other items in their yards. Fixing up cars and appliances to sell on eBay is one way some people unemployed because of Covid have found to make money. The City should not be trying to micromanage everyone's home and property. Life is more important than whatever the City may regard as unsightly. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Please read the Right to Privacy and Life Petition and add your comments at: https://www.change.org/p/board-of-aldermen-city-of-quitman-mississippi-…. Thank you.
Sincerely,
TerryLynch@aol.com
