Author Topic: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)  (Read 15215 times)

Ned Hamford

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Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« on: September 16, 2007, 04:23:35 PM »
Why I am a Small l Libertarian
http://www.professorbainbridge.com/2007/09/why-i-am-a-smal.html
My wife and I wanted to put an addition on our house here in the City of Los Angeles. Our general contractor told us that the first thing we had to do was get up-to-date zoning and property information from the Building Pemits Department. He recommended that we hire a "fixer" who was used to dealing with the bureaucracy. That was 2 months ago. Today, we were informed by the City zoning department that they could not give us the necessary zoning information ... because, according to zoning records, our house does not exist! On top of which, the zoning folks also had no record of the street on which we live.

I was speechless until it occurred to me to ask why, if our house doesn't exist, we have to pay property taxes and so on. The answer? "That's another department." Back to being speechless. I then recovered enough to ask what we had to do to have the existence of our house established, which I thought would be a simple process - after all, you can see it on Google Earth. I was told we would first have to have a hearing to determine whether the street that runs in front of our house is a public street or private road. Given the backlog, it would be about a year before that process could be completed. Then we'd have to have another hearing to establish the existence of our house. Then we'd have to apply for a building permit, geological inspection, etcetera etcetera. At which point, I gave up in despair. After all, I was starting to have visions of being told that we'd have to tear our house down because it doesn't exist, which was getting kind of metaphysical. Anyway, goodbye addition.

True story.

Update: The interest in this story prompts me to relate another of my adventures with LA bureaucracy. I live in the Hollywood Hills. When the houses on our block were built back in the 1930s, the city sewer was not extended up the street. To connect the houses, the builder(s) ran an "unofficial" 4 inch clay pipe under our properties down to where it could be patched into the city line. By the late 1990s, the pipe was failing and causing all sorts of problems. In 2, we went to the City and asked to have a proper City sewer line ran up our block to which we could connect. They agreed. We could have our line ... in 2020! So we had a fundraiser for our city councilman. He asked what he could do for us. We told him about the sewer. A couple of days later, one of his aides called with good news. We had been bumped up. To 2018. So much for campaign finance corrupting politicians, eh?

At this point, we all clubbed together (overcoming an interesting holdout problem along the way) and ran a new private line.

Between these two episodes, it's been quite a ride with the City of LA.

And boy would I like to get my hands on our builder! Unfortunately, he's long since met his maker.
Improbus a nullo flectitur obsequio.

DustinD

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2007, 05:16:36 PM »
So what happens if you build an addition to a house that has funny paperwork issues? Would they have to prove your house and street/private road exist before going after you?
"I don't always shoot defenceless women in the face, but when I do, I prefer H-S Precision.

Stay bloodthirsty, my friends."

                       - Lon Horiuchi

grampster

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2007, 05:31:28 PM »
How can you build onto something that does not exist.  If you get an inquiry, just tell them they must be mistaken, you are a figment of their imagination.
"Never wrestle with a pig.  You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."  G.B. Shaw

The Rabbi

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2007, 05:33:07 PM »
How can you build onto something that does not exist.  If you get an inquiry, just tell them they must be mistaken, you are a figment of their imagination.
In LA that is quite believable.
Fight state-sponsored Islamic terrorism: Bomb France now!

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Balog

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2007, 05:35:45 PM »
Only the permissiony part of the .gov doubts you exist. The punishy part believes in you.
Quote from: French G.
I was always pleasant, friendly and within arm's reach of a gun.

Quote from: Standing Wolf
If government is the answer, it must have been a really, really, really stupid question.

Monkeyleg

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2007, 05:57:24 PM »
Ned, your story would be hilarious if it were not true.

I've been through similar episodes, and feel for you.

Buy yourself some piano wire. It worked for the Italian people under Mussolini.

Ned Hamford

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2007, 06:31:24 PM »
Only the permissiony part of the .gov doubts you exist. The punishy part believes in you.
Balog understands.

No worries monkeyleg, didn't happen to me, happened to a law prof. 
As I'm in my second year of law school, that makes it all the sweeter.

If you feel any sympathy for him, go watch Paperchase. 
Improbus a nullo flectitur obsequio.

Paddy

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2007, 07:51:59 PM »
How can you build onto something that does not exist.  If you get an inquiry, just tell them they must be mistaken, you are a figment of their imagination.
In LA that is quite believable.

Really, Rabbi?  And how much time have you spent in LA?

Jamisjockey

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2007, 03:55:33 AM »
How can you build onto something that does not exist.  If you get an inquiry, just tell them they must be mistaken, you are a figment of their imagination.
In LA that is quite believable.

Really, Rabbi?  And how much time have you spent in LA?
There has to be a deep seated reason you're always spoiling for it on here.  Daddy left when you were young?  Mommy didn't hold you enough?
JD

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The Rabbi

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2007, 04:03:39 AM »
How can you build onto something that does not exist.  If you get an inquiry, just tell them they must be mistaken, you are a figment of their imagination.
In LA that is quite believable.

Really, Rabbi?  And how much time have you spent in LA?

Lots, actually.
What can I say about multi-million dollar houses built on stilts in an area noted for earthquake activity?  It isn't called "LaLa Land" for nothing, ya know.
Fight state-sponsored Islamic terrorism: Bomb France now!

Vote Libertarian: It Not Like It Matters Anyway.

Sergeant Bob

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2007, 05:29:54 AM »
We need another forum here called "The Boxing Ring".
Personally, I do not understand how a bunch of people demanding a bigger govt can call themselves anarchist.
I meet lots of folks like this, claim to be anarchist but really they're just liberals with pierced genitals. - gunsmith

I already have canned butter, buying more. Canned blueberries, some pancake making dry goods and the end of the world is gonna be delicious.  -French G

Leatherneck

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2007, 06:39:55 AM »
Or else somebody needs an attitude adjustment.

TC
TC
RT Refugee

K Frame

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2007, 06:56:29 AM »

There has to be a deep seated reason you're always spoiling for it on here.  Daddy left when you were young?  Mommy didn't hold you enough?


I don't expect to see anything like that again, Jamis.
Carbon Monoxide, sucking the life out of idiots, 'tards, and fools since man tamed fire.

Jamisjockey

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2007, 07:14:31 AM »

There has to be a deep seated reason you're always spoiling for it on here.  Daddy left when you were young?  Mommy didn't hold you enough?


I don't expect to see anything like that again, Jamis.

Fair enough.  It has to be admitted, though, that it seems Rilley is constantly spoiling for a fight lately. 
JD

 The price of a lottery ticket seems to be the maximum most folks are willing to risk toward the dream of becoming a one-percenter. “Robert Hollis”

K Frame

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2007, 07:35:10 AM »

There has to be a deep seated reason you're always spoiling for it on here.  Daddy left when you were young?  Mommy didn't hold you enough?


I don't expect to see anything like that again, Jamis.

Fair enough.  It has to be admitted, though, that it seems Rilley is constantly spoiling for a fight lately. 


Let me fix that statement for you: "Fair enough. It has to be admitted, though, that it seems Rilley is constantly spoiling for a fight lately.
Carbon Monoxide, sucking the life out of idiots, 'tards, and fools since man tamed fire.

cordex

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Re: Prof. Bainbride- Why I am a small I Libertarian (made me laugh)
« Reply #15 on: September 17, 2007, 09:35:45 AM »
Only the permissiony part of the .gov doubts you exist. The punishy part believes in you.
Been there.