I had the privilege, several nights ago, to observe the Council meeting of a neighboring borough when they adopted a property maintenance code.  Intellectually, I know such codes are the busybody’s creed written into law.  But I was appalled at the emotions that were shown that night.

The public comments — made by both residents and councilmen – made it obvious greed and pride were behind the ordinance.  Greed was there in the oft-stated belief that the new code would drive up the values of homes in the borough.  No longer would a neighbor’s procrastination in cutting his grass drag down the value of my property!  This eliminates the necessity of buying up the neighborhood in order to keep the middle-class look that supports my property’s valuation.

Even worse was the pride and arrogance shown in the attitude toward renters/tenants shown by the ordinance’s supporters.  The fact that half the homes in the borough were lived in by tenants, rather than the owner, was identified as a major part of the cause of the borough’s decline.  Renters have ‘no skin in the game’ and therefore have no incentive to maintain a decent property.  The ‘caliber’ of renters has changed from years past, hurting the locality, was another expressed opinion.

Where was all the good will toward your neighbor that’s such a celebrated aspect of small town life?  One person raised the concern that some people may live to different standards than neighbors like due to monetary or physical constraints.  What about those people?  She answered her question herself, saying she trusted the community would help those as needed.  Others acknowledged the issue, claimed it had been thought of by those proposing the law, but opined the law was not meant to be as ‘Gestapo-like’ as it sounded.

Ah yes.  Asking the local busybody to sympathize with problems and constraints of the elderly widow next door has never proven to be a popular argument.  Much better to pass a law and make her conform to my idea of the good life.  Oh, and don’t forget to give alms to the benevolence fund on Sunday!  (The widow may well need it!)

• Political-Economics