Selective Enforcement

As my friend Travis Kiger has pointed out on the Friends for Fullerton's Future blog, it appears that the "Fig Tree Lady" is being unfairly singled out by Fullerton officials for a non-existent problem. 

Below are some pictures showing how the Community Preservation officials distort circumstances and make a case where none should be made. 

Often, the City of Fullerton is the worst violator, holding the public to a much higher standard than it does of its own property. 



Note the orange tree hanging over the sidewalk.  The homeowner says they have never had Community Preservation (A.K.A. Code Enforcement) cite them for it.  Also, the city-owned magnolia tree on the right hangs over the private property.  No one seems to care.





All of the city-owned trees in the parkway overhang private property.  Again, no one seems to care.



The city-owned tree in the parkway is a little over the private property.  Also in the background a tree overhangs the public right of way and no one seems to care.  However, the smokey grey tree barely visible over the wall has been a point of contention for Fullerton's Community Preservation officers and has lead to the City Attorney filing misdemeanor charges against the property owner.  The case is pending.



In this picture you can clearly see the smokey grey fig tree nowhere over the wall.  Absolutely no violation exists yet the on-call contract city attorney is happy to waste tax dollars on a trial by jury. 

If you think that the on-call contract city attorney is wasting taxpayers’ dollars and if you think that the city selectively enforces the municipal code to harass certain people, join the club.   Selective enforcement that wastes very scarce tax dollars on enforcing poorly conceived policies undermines and destroys the fabric of our community.  Unlike its name implies, Community Preservation is damaging our city when enforcement officers pick and choose what they want to enforce and to whom they persecute.  This case smells of abuse and harassment under color of authority.