Posted by otterfan (anonymous) on July 2, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WORD!

Posted by bigkahunaburger (anonymous) on July 2, 2008 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ah, good ol' brain cancer jokes - combining sensitive humor with a touch of class.

Posted by Mel (anonymous) on July 3, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You are right, this law is not necessary. Instead of constantly making new rules and regulations, it is time to go back and get rid of some of the old ones. Some in America seem to want to ruin the freedoms we have with rules that will ruin it. The same people that want all these laws will someday wonder what happened to this great country we have. They are the the people that will try to fix it with even more rules, because they do not understand what they are doing.

Posted by AmyO (anonymous) on July 3, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Very well thought out and well reasoned argument Mr. Reynolds. "If you don't like it, then move. People who are in favor of this law should be mentally evaluated and don't have a brain." Wow. Hard to argue with that. And, Mel, "Some in America seem to want to ruin the freedoms we have with rules that will ruin it." Again, are you guys just coming up with this stuff on your own or is someone helping you?

Posted by jetfire63 (anonymous) on July 3, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First of all it is not a junk yard law! It is an Ordinance that will turn the greatest share of farms and home steads in Otter Tail County into Junk Yards. The following definition is taken directly from the proposed Ordinance

"Junk means old or scrap hazard signs, copper, brass, rope, rags, batteries, paper,
synthetic or organic scrap, rubber, rubber debris, dismantled or wrecked
automobiles, farm machinery, construction machinery, mobile homes, campers,
travel trailers, recreational vehicles, boats, personal watercraft, iron, steel and
other scrap ferrous or non-ferrous materials, appliances, electronic, wire spools,
wood and other building materials and parts of buildings any or all of which may
be used or intended to be used for purposes other than their original intended
purpose in their original form and condition."

This pretty much covers everything that anybody owns and has stored on their land. This is all being done under the guise of Health, Safety, and Wellfare. Beacuse the State of Minnesota's definintion states that a nuisance extends beyond the property lines. If having any or all of the aboved mentioned materials around a farm stead was so dangerous wouldn't we hear of more people being injured or kill by these items. The proponets of this Ordinace talk of rodents that make it sound like a scene out of the seventies movie "BEN" I personally have never seen a rat or the traces of a rat in any cars stored on my property, Instead what I do see is Gold Finches, House Finches, Wrens, Blue Birds, Chipmunks, Squrriels, Bunny Rabbits, and abundant other wild life.

Just say NO to the Junk Yard Ordinance by calling your County Commissioner before the 15th of July.

Posted by bigkahunaburger (anonymous) on July 3, 2008 at 4:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You're trying to sell cars stored on your land as an alternative habitat for song birds and little woodland creatures? I'm not implying that you are incorrect, but that does sound a little silly.

Posted by justme (anonymous) on July 3, 2008 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I've got a much clearer definition for you to ponder: Property. In a nutshell, this ordinance is among the many laws designed to tell you what you can and cannot do with your own property on your own land. Real American.

Posted by realitychk (anonymous) on July 3, 2008 at 9:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If this junk yard ordinance would be put to the voters, it would be just end up just like the Fargo smoking ban. It WOULD succeed! People DO support this ordinace, and it's about time our commissioners realize that this isn't the Wild West anymore by supporting this. A junky neighborhood lessens my property values, so darn right, I support this. Also-this letter is the most disgusting analogy I have ever read, but no surprise that The Journal would print something so ignorant. You don't go comparing a devastating medical condition to a political position.

Posted by Mel (anonymous) on July 3, 2008 at 10:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hi realitychk, are you selling? So why do you want your property values increased? So you can pay more TAXES?
Thank you jetfire63, you got it right.

Posted by realitychk (anonymous) on July 4, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Mel, my taxes are very reasonable. No, I'm not selling anytime soon. What many don't seem to understand is that the board seems to be looking for input for revisions to this ordinance. I don't believe they want every farmer's property to be considered a junk yard, so I think they will revise this preliminary reading of the ordinance. It probably would only affect properties where everyone of us, without a doubt, would consider a "junk yard". We've all seen them, and they seem to grow and grow worse as time passes. Some of these people seem to thumb their nose at everything or anybody.

Posted by 89Heritage (anonymous) on July 4, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think alot of people are thumbing there nose at you & others like you. I am. Maybe its because every time we turn around anymore your taking another freedom from us. Things we've enjoyed & have done for many years in a so called free country. I'm a smoker. I don't drink But like going to the bars. Do you have any idea what it feels like to have to stand outside a bar in a closed off orange fenced in area when its 20 below? Communism, degrading & anger is what I feel. All because of fanatics, most of whom never go to these places anyways. I don't know how many times I've walked into a bar & found it empty, because everybody is outside, including the non-smokers. How stupid is this law?Now you're saying" You don't have too. Or quit smoking. If you're thinking that, then you don't understand freedom or addiction.

Posted by Mel (anonymous) on July 4, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't smoke, & I don't have junk cars (or other junk). My only reason to be against these kind of laws is because I don't want to see anymore of our freedoms go down the drain. We have so many regulations that it is just plain unamerican. (in my opinion)

Posted by truthsayer (anonymous) on July 5, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

All - Just remember folks it is the county responding to it's taxpayers to consider this ordinance. Like or not, people have the right to petition their government. Even is you don't like it, it is one of this pesky constitutional rights. So..........show up at a meeting or write a letter.

Posted by brighteyes (anonymous) on July 6, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

laws? look- we're up to our necks in laws as it is.. we should change the last verse of the star spangled banner to "the land of the regulated, and former home of the the military." can anyone say ridiculie?

Posted by bigkahunaburger (anonymous) on July 6, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Your freedoms end where other's safety begins. The smoking ban isn't about shafting your rights, it's about public health. You don't have to agree, but you do have to understand why it's in place. America is a free country, but we've never been free to do whatever we want. Why? Because people are inherently selfish. Chaos is not a good endgame.

Posted by AmyO (anonymous) on July 7, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"If you're thinking that, then you don't understand freedom or addiction." - 89Heritage

I believe if you are comfortable with your current state of “understanding” the latter, you are categorically incapable of understanding the former.

Posted by philori (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 5:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"any or all of which may
be used or intended to be used for purposes other than their original intended
purpose in their original form and condition"
does that mean the cannon in front of the courthouse is considered "junk"? Do you realize the amount of strain that this ordinance will put on people that deal in salvage? our neighbor deals in salvage and it will cost him well over $100,000 to fence it all off properly