It is unfortunate that a homeowner in East Brainerd doesn’t care enough to take pride and have a nice homesite in an upscale neighborhood, especially since it’s close to a TV anchor and judge.  I imagine since it’s a TV anchor and judge that are neighbors to this unsightly mess that much attention to this issue has been required from the city of Chattanooga’s justice system via a little social pressure.  The owner is going to be fined $50 a day for this mess. 

Although I know it is a mess, I imagine the owner of this parcel pays a lot more in taxes to the city than many of the homeowners of Alton Park, East Lake, Avondale and Bushtown which are also in the city of Chattanooga.

  Shouldn’t the fair justice system of our fine city impose massive $50 a day fines on the homeowners in the neighborhoods just mentioned that don’t keep tidy homes and yards? 

However, let me make it clear that many of the homes in these neighborhoods are very well-kept and is not fair to the well-kept homes for the city not to fine the neighbors that are not well-kept.  Maybe a TV anchor or judge needs to move into these areas so action can be taken and fines imposed to help clean up the unsightly.  What is fair for the goose is fair for the gander. 

It seems that we are witnessing Chattanooga’s special interest in one’s social and financial status. One hour with a digital camera taking photos of some of the unsightly homes and yards in some of these neighborhoods will surly fatten the coffers of our city of Chattanooga’s justice system if the East Brainerd homeowner is forced to pay the soon-to-be levied fines.

Until the city treats all fairly and equally, leave the East Brainerd homeowner alone as you are demonstrating discrimination between the social and financial status from one neighborhood to another and may be opening up a can of worms you don’t want to open. I would not want to be the neighbor living next to the unsightly mess in the upscale East Brainerd neighborhood and would be raising heck as well, but what is fair is fair and discrimination is wrong.  If the city of Chattanooga is going to fine this person for what looks like a drop in the water bucket compared to other homes in Chattanooga, then don’t waste time. Chattanooga justice system, load your coffers and give the rest of us a tax break while cleaning up our fair city. 

Michael Mansfield