The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Call it what you will, the House of Delegates is still not clothesline-friendly.
Last year Sen. Linda Puller, D-Fairfax County, sponsored a bill to prohibit community associations from banning "wind energy drying devices," otherwise known as clotheslines. The measure passed the Senate but died in the House.
This year Puller tried a different name for the onetime backyard fixtures: "natural drying devices." Her bill, SB221, was prompted by a constituent whose community association wouldn't let her put up a clothesline. It passed the Senate 37-3.
"People are becoming environmentally conscious and trying to do what's right," Puller told a House subcommittee Wednesday.
Still no dice. The panel tabled the measure, effectively killing it. The 5-2 vote broke down along party lines, Democrats for and Republicans against.
"See you next year," Puller said on the way out.
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Those who choose
to live under an association shouldn't be surprised at this restriction. There are plenty of restrictions and for some people who prefer to live with them all, I say let them have it. I don't need anyone telling me what color I must paint my house, but I won't hate on associations or people who choose to live in them.
Live with it
Before you buy a condo or into a PUD/HOA. Read the fine print, and if you do then be prepared to live by the regulations. You and the other persons in the agreement are one entity and by that you are at the others mercy. Live with it.
follow the money
The GOP killed it. Who benefits? Electricity vendors (DOMINION) and real estate developers.
I'm shocked, shocked that Virginia Republicans support allowing HOAs to outlaw moms hanging their kids' laundry out to dry on the clothesline.
What's that Ronald Reagan quote about what it was like once upon a time in America when men were free?
WTH
Another good use of tax payers money
ridiculous!
How did it become illegal to dry your clothes in the first place?! Where's all the "Green Nazi's" chiming in on how it saves electricity, protects the O-Zone, blah, blah, blah. Why would anyone not like a little Americana like mom hanging clothes out to dry as the kids play in the backyard? Not to mention she's getting a little exercise as well as she multi-taks her day. Okay, now that leads me to where are all the "Fat-Nazi's" who complain Americans are overweight and need to excercise more? You could take the hypocrisy in this country a long ways.
Clothesline crime stoppers.
Try running from LEOs through backyards full of clothes lines.
Are you serious?
We have overpaid politicians arguing about a freaking clothesline in someone's backyard? This is absurd! If someone wants to hang their clothes out on the line they should be bale too, it's a free country, oops I'm sorry, we aren't as free as we used to be. Do you know that most clothes need to be air dried due to shrinkage? This is ridiculous
this bill is not about money, oil etc, it is about choices
we make as a people. You buy a property that is under a home owners association, you have to first abide by the rules of that association. If you don't like the rules of the association, change them from within. The State should not be involved in these kind of decisions nor of controlling what a self elected group does, especially down to this level of control. The safety of the people in the home owners association is not impacted either with or without clothes lines and their is nothing sinister reported with this decision. It is about aesthetics. It is about choice and taking on the responsibility of the choices you made.
For those who voted against this, I hope it was about government staying out of our lives and really about supporting the choices people make. If the bill was to eliminate home owners association would that make people happier? Would that open a pandora's box toward other groups and how the government is allowed to usurp the decision make abilities of these kinds of groups? The smartest thing for the VA GA is to stay out of these discussions.
Unfortunately
those that voted against this also voted for the flagpole bill, thus showing this isn't about living with the choices we make but all about the appearance of looking conservative. Because although their lips say less government their actions say bah, we'll do what we want and think is politically expedient. Doesn't matter what party, they all do it. Neither bill should have passed because they interfere with the contracts people knowingly and freely entered. The Colonel can fly the flag as long as the pole is attached to his house, and people can dry their clothes with a dryer. No one's rights were trampled on. Silly partisan one-upmanship. Useless bills wasting time.
there are limits on permissible private contracts
if your fundamental point is that whatever's voluntary should be allowed...look around you, that is simply not how we live