Pubdate: Fri, 09 Mar 2007
Source: Tri-City News (Port Coquitlam, CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Tri-City News
Contact:  http://www.tricitynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1239
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n286/a04.html
Author: Gerry Shaw

DANGER TO OUR FREEDOMS IN GROW OP PLAN

The Editor,

Re. "Power play against grow ops" (front page, The Tri-City News, March 7).

Wow, what a wonderfully stupid idea: Let's fight crime by taking away 
the rights of law abiding citizens.

If an unfortunate individual happens to have a hobby machine or 
carpentry shop, or grow and raise exotic plants in his basement and 
uses more than three times the power of his next door neighbour, he 
is considered a criminal and loses his civil rights.

If the unfortunate, law-abiding, taxpaying individual happens to be 
away on holidays for a week or so and receives a 48-hour notice of 
inspection, he will, upon his return, find the power cut off, the 
contents of the fridge and freezer destroyed, the expensive fish in 
the aquarium dead, the exotic orchids wilted and, to top it off, a 
notice that he has to pay a fee of $5,000 to have his electricity 
rightfully turned back on.

The above example could, and more than likely would, result from this 
ill-conceived and poorly thought-out bylaw. What ignorant government 
bureaucrat thought up this idiotic idea? He or she has to be among 
the colossally stupid.

In Canada we have a Charter of Rights to protect us from these 
dictators. Our freedom is in serious danger when those in power 
believe it is acceptable to suspend the rights of citizens to catch 
lawbreakers.

Gerry Shaw

Port Moody
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman