Posted below in its entirety: http://freekeene.com/…

If you’ve been reading this blog for the last month or so, you know that the “City of Keene” has been threatening me over my tenants’ couch in their lawn. First, they sent one of their “enforcers” to threaten me with a $100 ticket. Then, one of the commenters here on Free Keene dug up a little dirt on their “enforcer” Carl Patten Jr. Early last week, my tenants snapped a photo of Mr. Patten snooping around and photographing the couch.

Here is the latest on the situation. The day after Mr. Patten was caught snooping, a letter arrived in my mailbox from Laurie Plankey, Accounts Receivable for the “City of Keene”. Here is a PDF and here’s the text:

September 16, 2008

On 8/26/2008 Carl Patten from Code Enforcement issued you ordinance violation # 1133 for a junk couch on the lawn at (ADDRESS) The violation was not paid within 7 days and has now increased from $100.00 to $200.00 and is now due. You can pay this fine on the 3rd floor, City Hall, 3 Washington Street, Keene NH. Please ask for me. Failure to pay the penalty imposed by the citation may subject you to court action.

PAYMENT OF FINE DOES NOT NEGATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROMPT CORRECTION OF VIOLATION.

Should you have further concerns about this matter, please call Carl Patten at City Hall at 603-352-5440. My telephone number is 603-352-1013, extension 6030. I am customarily available Monday through Friday from 8 until 4.

(SIGNED)
Laurie Plankey
Accounts Receivable, Finance Department
Cc: Carl Patten

In response, I wrote them the following and had it notarized before hand delivering it in front of witnesses this morning September 26, 2008:


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TSA’s Badges Are a Sore Spot With Cops

Screeners at the nation’s airport checkpoints are going to start wearing police-style badges - but real officers aren’t too happy about it.

Some sworn officers fear airline passengers will mistake screeners for law-enforcement officials with arrest powers.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is starting to equip its 48,000 screeners with 3-inch-by-2-inch, silver-colored, copper and zinc badges that will be worn on new royal-blue police-style shirts.

The attire aims to convey an image of authority to passengers, who have harassed, pushed and in a few instances punched screeners. “Some of our officers aren’t respected,” TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said.

Nor should they be. Not only is what they do an egregious infringement on the 4th Amendment but also the 9th and 10th and perhaps the 14th. It’s also an affront to private property. It doesn’t matter what outfit you wear. This, this, this, or this. You make people’s lives more difficult without any benefit.

“A lot of cops at airports are not real thrilled about it,” said Duane McGray of the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network, an airport police association. “It’s another way of saying (to airport police), ‘You’re not important.’ “

Boo fucking hoo. Police in general are far less important then they think they or wish they were. The war on drugs has given the police officer profession a sense of importance that is completely undeserved. Do consumers want protection services? Sure. But the police don’t offer protection.

I hope this leads to a showdown between the local and federal authorities in the same way the Real ID law is. Reminds me of another South Park reference:

AUTHORITARIAN FIGHT!!