My "Screwed Up Priorities"

On the morning of June 5th, I walked into the new Code Enforcement Office at 77 N. 7th Street to see if anyone there had pursued my recent complaint to the CEO about my neighbor's overgrown grass and weeds that have not been cut once this year.

Only the part-time clerk was available because Craig Haigh was on vacation that week.  The clerk searched a file to see if an OTR (ORDER TO REMEDY) had recently been issued to the owner of 538 State regarding the unmaintained vegetation.  The most recent OTR the clerk could find was from two summers ago about the exact same issue after a complaint from you-know-who.

The clerk asked me to fill out a complaint form, telling me that Craig would see it on Monday.  While I was filling out the form, the clerk said this to me: "You're worried about your neighbor's tall grass while drug transactions are taking place in downtown Hudson in broad daylight?  You've really got your priorities screwed up."  He was serious.

I asked the clerk what department he worked for, and he told me, "The one you're standing in."  

It's usually such a joy to visit the CEO.  There is rarely a dull moment.

I guarantee that I will return at least once again this year to the CEO to file yet another complaint about unmaintained grass and weeds at 538 State Street.  You'd think that in the 21st century that our CEO would do something proactive about the situation rather than react only when someone walks into the office to let them know about the recurring fucking code violation that anyone and everyone can see.  Anyone and everyone, that is, except for the CEO.  Apparently they are more concerned with the open-air drug bazaar in Hudson than all the simple, easily enforceable run of the mill code violations that affect us all negatively.