This article (Tampa police use Taser to subdue agitated lawyer by Rebecca Catalanello and Janet Zink, Times staff writers) has two things I hate – Taser abuse and historic preservation codes.
First, as City Council member Joseph Caetano notes at the end of the article, “You can die from being Tasered.” That’s right! And, this guy should never have been Tasered in the first place, even if he did slap an officer. I’m deeply sympathetic to cops that have to deal with unruly citizens, but there’s got to be a better method than endangering this man’s life because he was in the middle of an emotional outburst.
What prompted the emotional outburst? The historic preservation codes of Seminole Heights. This guy, a professional who lost a lot of income after he had brain surgery earlier this year, is replacing the windows on the rear addition of his Seminole Heights bungalow. Unfortunately, he’s using aluminum window frames instead of the expensive wooden frames mandated by the preservation codes. Some nosy neighbor complained, and now he’s racking up substantial fines with every day that passes. He went to the board to ask for a waiver, was denied, became emotional/frustrated, objected to being escorted out of the meeting room, and, according to a cop, slapped the escorting officer in the face.
Tasers can be a valuable tool, but the use of a Taser in this situation was completely uncalled for, and unnecessary. It’s an embarrassment.
The preservation codes are equally embarrassing. A fine for window frames on the back of the house? That’s why people hate the historic preservation codes. They’re capricious. If we really want to keep these homes as museum pieces then a house built in 1913 shouldn’t be allowed to have television antennas, or cable television wires, or electric refrigerators. You should be allowed to keep your home alive, and that means having the ability to change it. We’re not really trying to create a museum neighborhood (or at least I hope we’re not) so the historic preservation codes shouldn’t address anything more substantive than a few cosmetic elements of the neighborhood. Windows in the backyard are really no one’s business.
Good luck, Mr. Hayes. I hope the Code Enforcement Board comes to its senses, allows you to install your windows, and you find some reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving.
[...] it didn’t end there. CODE also heard from neighbors who are apparently quite anti-aluminum. Getting irritated, Hayes wondered aloud if those neighbors might be racist, since he’s the [...]