firedup

Sounds like "lets make a deal." Our court systems are full of deals, especially for those who know how to work the system. If it had been some poor old schmuck who didn't have a dime to his name - in the exact same situation, he would have gotten 20 years.

In reply to #163, just a little piece of info for you, I happen to be the very individual that said those words in that article you referred to!! And if you will read the entire feature you will find I said a lot more.

You know you don't have to be a slob to be poor but the lack of money can surely make a difference in whether or not you fix up the porch. You don't know somebody else's life unless you;ve walked in their shoes. I'm speaking of these life-timers that have lived in this neighborhood for decades, got blood sweat and tears in their old houses, brought up their children here and now that when it is one of the hardest times in history, you have the "Moss Revolution" sticking it to people who are lucky enough to get up the front steps never mind a ladder. Some of these people are lucky just to have a roof over their heads, a structure with doors and window, a place called home. What do you want to do push them out completely - then you have another family in the welfare line - looking for a shelter - at least - these people are paying the mortgage, feeding their kids, the houses are occupied and not boarded up. They keep referring to fix-em-up loans - what happens when those that are hanging on to their "HOMES" by the skin of their teeth and when they put their home on the line for a loan, they lose a job or times get harder - then a mortgage company takes their house, it sells to a developer for far less than market value - another high priced condo goes up - you have another family homeless - possibly broken up - children on the street - maybe in trouble - then everybody is complaining about them - what then? So everybody stop complaining, either extend a hand - unconditionally, or shut the xxxx up - If you want to live in a better neighborhood - buy in a better neighborhood - don't go where you know the percentage of poverty level is below 50% and expect everybody to wake up with funds in their pocket. If you ain't got no money - you ain't got no money. Most people know and wish that they could do something about their homes but just like my mother, she is 75 years old, bought her old house when it was already falling down because it was all she could afford and has hung on to it for 40 years - now she is old can barely walk, has had two knee replacements, worked her whole life for that old house and I'll be ----- if somebody is going to give her grief over it.

:whip:In reply to the comment about getting involved if you want to have a say. Well, I wasn't aware that the constitution said anything about belonging to a block club to exercise mine or anyone else's rights. I have never been in favor of those little stepford groups and they have no business making any decisions regarding anyone's property, rights, likes or dislikes other than their own. I will be attending now just to prove a point. To let them know that just because I don't sit on my front porch doesn't mean nobody's home. If they keep harping on peeling paint in this neighborhood - I'm going to call out the troops and we'll paint all the cited houses hot pink - glow in the dark - let 'em look at that for awhile and that'll give 'em something to talk about. As far as the tall weeds go - that's mother nature and if these fine folks complaining want them pulled - we won't mind if they take a few. firedup