Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, September 13, 2012

In Brampton, the front yard has no clothes

Toronto may not allow you to eat shark fin soup or raise chickens, and Mississauga is thinking about restricting bird feeders and sales of graffiti-capable art supplies to minors.

But only Brampton wants to decree where you should hang your wet laundry. And it’s not in the front yard.

Brampton council recently asked city staff to report back on how to ban the hanging of laundry in front yards. The fact that city staff say there isn’t really a big problem with unslightly laundry didn’t wash with councillors.

The issue was first raised last fall, when some councillors discussed complaints they had received from residents about neighbours hanging laundry to dry on railings and fences and in driveways, and how this “detracts from the beauty’’ of the city.

Councillor John Hutton said residents shouldn’t have to look out their window and see their neighbour’s underwear stretched over a railing.

Councillor Elaine Moore talked about homes in her ward that have basement apartments with driveway entrances. Residents who didn’t have access to the side or backyards had used makeshift laundry lines strung from a mailbox to the garage.

City staff asked to investigate the issue of wayward laundry hangers found there had been 17 related complaints over three years (2009-2011), although they weren’t necessarily about just-washed laundry. Some were related to people draping wet towels and bathing suits over shared fences, as well as railings and chairs near swimming pools.

Staffers suggested a bylaw wasn’t necessary, but they were overruled at the Sept. 5 council meeting. Councillors said they weren’t necessarily concerned about towels and bathing suits, but more about loads of laundry appearing in front yards.

And it appears the mere idea of front yard clotheslines is off-putting to Bramptonians. A poll on the Brampton Guardian website suggests more than 75 per cent of people are in favour of banning front-yard clothes-drying. Even though there’s no evidence it’s being done.

City staff told council they have surveyed 14 other area municipalities and found none has an outdoor laundry ban.

In fact, the provincial Green Energy Act of 2009, in keeping with energy conservation guidelines, specifically allows any residence to have a side or backyard clothesline or clothes tree.

The City of Toronto website indicates that residents may “erect a clothesline on any part of your property,’’ as long as it doesn’t create a sight-line hazard. Apartment and condominium buildings and townhomes may have some of their own restrictions on clotheslines.

Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Valerie Hauch

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