Housing Code Citations

Idon’t blame the residents of Glendale for being angered by housing code citations (Glendale section, April 23). This is just another in a series of actions that show Glendale city officials are completely intolerant of people who don’t conform to their idea of homogenized, middle-class suburbia.

Homeowners should have the right to paint or not paint their houses, mow or not mow their lawns and fix or not fix their porches. It’s their property, isn’t it?

Freedom means nothing if housing code inspectors are allowed to invade the homes of law-abiding citizens and threaten them with fines or imprisonment for not keeping up some arbitrary standard set by government bureaucrats.

Not only are the rights of these property owners being violated, but the pockets of the rest of us are being picked to finance the 3% federally subsidized home-improvement loans that these persecuted homeowners are forced to take out in order to stay out of prison.

Glendale currently bans or restricts signs on businesses, chain-link fences, hot dog vendors, lunch trucks, sexually oriented newspaper racks, unusual-looking apartment buildings and now homes with peeling paint. Wise up now, citizens of Glendale, and fight for your rights--before it’s too late!

TED BROWN

LOS ANGELES