Great points Norm. In reference to the woman on the waterfront responsible for the GA law, her neighbors on the second row could complain that her house is blocking their view of the water, perhaps there should be a law barring building on the waterfront all the way to the Rockies?
Craig Scott AE6E S/V Savor Grace Searunner 37 The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. Albert Einstein _________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Norm Sent: Friday, November 23, 2012 13:47 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] Why Georgia Sucks Ahoy All, My objection to the Georgia situation is the shotgun approach that lets anyone with a modicum of power arbitrarily decide who can stay on the water and who must disappear. At one time I was in email communication with the woman who claimed responsibility for the Georgia anti-livaboard law. She told me she had waterfront property and was tired of looking at a “bunch of hippies on a houseboat” so she asked her friends in the Georgia legislature to do something about it. They did. I do agree that people should be reasonably tidy and avoid becoming an eyesore to their neighbors – but there are problems. A person’s definition of “neat and tidy” varies greatly and is difficult to define objectively – much like the great debate over the definition of “obscenity” in the past. A well-lived life seems to include a degree of mess. Just check out any construction site. Famously Thomas Edison once stated “In order to invent one must first have a great pile of junk.” And there is an old English proverb, “A tidy garden is the sign of a boring gardener.” Are the folks on the land subject to the same neatness rules? Anyone who has ever taken a train trip up the East Coast has had an up-close view of America’s backyards and knows the answer to that question. Boat people are singled out because we are highly visible and because we are few in number with little political clout thus presenting a “soft target”. A derelict vessel is an abandoned vessel by definition in my Webster’s. Dead bodies of all kinds in developed areas need to be dealt with, I think we all agree. The “derelict vessel” argument is a moot point because there are already in place ways to deal with abandoned houses and motor vehicles and these same instruments are applied to boats - as was done recently where I am anchored when a Pearson Triton sank and the owner, a low-income retired Vet, did nothing about it for six months. Not mentioned (until now) in this thread but always in the background is the Potty Problem. Suffice to say, the EPA has stated overwhelmingly that agricultural runoff, both from farms and from people’s lawns, is by far the largest pollution source in the country today. In the Chesapeake Bay the stated most predominate problem is civilization itself, with particulate run-off from disturbed soil reducing sunlight to underwater meadows – the base of the food pyramid – causing a severe and widespread reduction in the entire ecosystem. In some places, such as the St Johns River here in northeast Florida, leakage from the septic systems of waterfront homes is a significant problem, so much so that the government is considering grants to homeowners to upgrade their black water systems (no mention of giving the same benefits to boaters). Livaboards are presumed to be fouling their environment. Certainly this may be true to a degree. But to keep things in perspective, those on the land are doing so also, and to a far greater degree because there are so many more of them. Some livaboards, such as those of us with composting toilets, do not foul the waters at all. And let us remember that biological waste is a normal and required part of the natural environment, welcomed by some of its inhabitants, and that a salt marsh is said to have the highest concentration of biomass on the planet. Anyone who has been on the water after a rainstorm cannot h elp but notice the widespread oil slicks washed from the streets and highways all around them. One article on the subject (in Discover magazine) stated that it was estimated that 65 million gallons of oil is washed into the waters of the country every year. Extrapolate this to the runoff that is not visible and you can get a sense of the problem. According to what I have read it is not the odd livaboard putting poop into the river that has any significant effect on the marine environment - there are just too few of them compared to the billions on the land - it is humanity in general. The shotgun is aimed by the tyranny of the majority, in this case, as is usual, those who pay the most taxes get to tell the gunner where to aim (notice it is not aimed at the pulp mill). There has got to be a better way. Norm S/V Bandersnatch Lying Julington Creek FL 30 23.8N 081 25.7W From: [email protected] Sent: Friday, November 23, 2012 10:05 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] Why Georgia Sucks I had the pleasure of staying at BLM for almost a year. The people there were great both the employees and customers. The town is so neat and the area beautiful. Would do it again anytime. The law came about because some people abused the system. No one wants to see a boat that is a derelict with junk hanging off of it. Can understand why it was passed. That being said enjoyed my time in Georgia very much. Well not the pulp mill on certain days. :-) Always wondered why people who have the most time just don't keep their boats or a house for that matter neat and clean? It just takes a little effort. Joe
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