A BETTER CLASS OF PEOPLE

As many of you know, I am rarely at a loss for words and surely not afraid to express my opinion on a wide variety of subjects. While this week seems to offer so many possibilities, I have decided to update The Might of Right re. Jim Greenwood and his appeal to the Stonebriar Home Owners Association (HOA) of Frisco, Texas and table for one week my take on the recent United States presidential election. My good English Friend who feels that I am highly subjective when it comes to The English (v. the Scots), will also have to wait for another couple of weeks for my reply which will to some degree surprise him and validate his observation.

First, I want to express my appreciation for the responses to my August 23, 2008 post about the gated community of Stonebriar in Frisco, Texas which prohibited one of its more august residents the right to park his new 2007 Ford 150 pickup in his own driveway. You see, their home owners association only allows pickups of the ilk of Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Mark LT, Honda Ridgeline, Chevrolet Avalanche and Hummers to be so displayed. All other vehicles of the subclass commona pickemupa have to be cloistered in their garages or banished to the hinterlands which seems to include anywhere outside Stonebriar.

I received a response from the president of an HOA in California who rightly so condemned the ban and opined that the action was discriminatory. We agree and are pleased that some HOA folks out there are righteously concerned and maintain realistic perspectives about their communities.

By the way, a disappointed Jim Greenwood, the subject of the pickup ban, lost his appeal to his Stonebriar HOA and is now parking the pickup in his garage whilst he considers his options. As reported earlier Jim appropriately noted the incident on his Concentra blog invoking, “the basic values of reasonableness, fairness, and respect” as the motivation to pursue his rights. Greenwood has not commented further since he lost his appeal save that he is considering a, “Plan B”.

We love the response of a “flabbergasted” Denton (Texas) Record Chronicle who opined that the decision makers in Stonebriar were “a bunch of nouveau riche busybodies”. The Record Chronicle gleefully fantasized what the late Sam Walton of Wal-Mart fame who drove a red 1979 Ford pickup truck until the day he died in 1992 (usually accompanied by his dog Roy) would have done if he had been the subject of such “mindless groupthink” discrimination. We agree that Walton probably wouldn’t have tolerated such silliness. We also earnestly hope that Jim Greenwood will continue his fight. In the meantime we counsel all those contemplating residence in a HOA driven community to read all the covenants and fine print.

If as reported, “the majority of homeowners in Stonebriar agree with the policy as it’s currently stated”, then its time for Greenwood to start associating with a better class of people. Apparently, the Stonebriar HOA would agree based on their earlier statements though that will surely require Greenwood’s move from Stonebriar.

Aye,

Ned Buxton