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published: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Admiration for a citizen standing up to power

Some of you may be tired of reading News-Sun stories about Gingerlee Mitchelllindo's fight with the city of Sebring. She is trying to save her retention wall.

We, on the other hand, not only think our coverage is warranted, we think the community should be paying attention, even getting involved.

To briefly recap: Mitchelllindo's property, a small single house, is opposite the Sebring Middle School at 503 Center Ave.

In 2009, with the construction of Sebring Parkway Part II, Center Avenue was reconfigured and widened for a safer entrance into the middle school and to feed into the Parkway.

Properties along the affected areas were surveyed.

As a result of the survey, the city judged Mitchelllindo's retaining wall encroached on the city's right-of-way by about a foot. However, when succeeding surveys were done, none of the results were exactly the same.

Mitchelllindo insists when she built the wall in 1996, she stayed within the line set by the surveyor, who happened to be Buddy Whitlock. Whitlock went on to sit on the city council and took part in the controversy. He is on record voting on the issue.

People who have complained about the wall to the News-Sun refer to the wall's appearance, not safety issues.

In 2012 the city won a legal fight to demolish the wall, and Mitchelllindo was denied an injunction against it. Once the last precautionary paperwork to protect the construction company doing the work is completed, Mitchelllindo's wall will come down.

It was supposed to have been torn down during the school's winter break. It is not known at this time when the work is rescheduled.

Our reasons for supporting Mitchelllindo include: 1) questions regarding the surveys; 2) questions regarding the actual motives for removing the wall -- being ugly in some eyes is no reason for government to trespass on a citizen's property, making demands; and 3) removing the retaining wall takes away Mitchelllindo's security.

There are other, more important issues involved. We admire Mitchelllindo's single-handed fight for just process against tremendous odds. It isn't often a citizen stands up to a government. It takes money, persistence, a thick skin, courage and a lot of research to stand up on your own.

Mitchelllindo told the News-Sun she is on her own because local lawyers refused to take on her case. The only lawyers who did express an interest, she said, work out of Miami and are prohibitively expense. Mitchelllindo said the reason she did not get the injunction was because she had made a mistake in the paperwork.

We wonder why the city, in these tough times, continues to spend thousands of dollars in its fixation to tear down a retaining wall. The News-Sun doesn't yet have the latest figures, but by 2011 the city had spent $22,325 in legal fees. What a waste of money. What a waste of Mitchelllindo's time, City Attorney Mike Swain's time, and the city council's time.

Worse, what arrogance of power.

To paraphrase President Ronald Reagan, "Sebring, don't tear that wall."

BE THE WALL (by: GINGERLEE DREAD - 1/19/2013)

LETTER TO THE, EDITOR, AND ALL, THANK YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE. I KNOW THIS PUTS A THREAT OF FINANCIAL BURDEN ON YOUR PAPER TO STAND UP TO WHATS RIGHT AND JUST AGAINST OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THEIR CONTRACTS OF WORK, AND I THANK YOU.
“A BILL OF RIGHTS THAT MEANS WHAT THE MAJORITY WANTS IT TO MEAN, IS WORTHLESS.”S.C.J. ATONIIN SCALIA
“THE PURPOSE OF A BILL OF RIGHTS IS TO PREVENT ANYONE (INCLUDING THE MAJORITY OF THE MOMENT) FROM VIOLATING ( OR EVEN VOTING AWAY THE RECOGNITION OF) THE RIGHTS OF ANYONE ELSE INCLUDING A MINORITY OF ONE” S.C.J. OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES
“PROPERTY IS SURELY A RIGHT OF MANKIND AS REAL AS LIBERTY. THE MOMENT THE IDEA IS ADMITTED INTO SOCIETY THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY IS NOT AS SACRED AS THE LAWS OF GOD, AND THAT THERE IS NOT A FORCE OF LAW AND PUBLIC JUSTICE TO PROTECT IT, ANARCHY AND TYRANNY WILL COMMENCE.” JOHN ADAMS
“RIGHTS INCLUDE THE RIGHT FOR ANYONE TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM ANY FORCE OR FRAUD INITIATED BY OTHERS. A FREE PEOPLE, CLAIM THEIR RIGHTS AS DERIVED FROM THE LAWS OF NATURE, AND CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE, AND NOT AS THE GIFT OF THEIR CHIEF MAGISTRATE.” THOMAS JEFFERSON.
THE ASTONISHING DISPLAY OF REPRESSIVE FORCE ASSEMBLED BY THE CITY OF SEBRINGS COUNCIL AGAINST ONE PROPERTY OWNERS RIGHTS WITH THE ABUSED CITIZENS MONIES THAT SHOULD BE USED FOR THE RIGHT AND JUSTCE OF ALL THE CITIZENS EQUALLY AND NOT SIMPLY THE MAJORITY OR RICH OR EVEN WORSE, THE GOOD OL BOYS, IS ON THE EDGE OF DISGUSTING. THE COURTS DOCUMENTS ARE PUBLIC RECORDS OPEN TO ANY TO READ AND SEE THE FACTS. ITS OBVIOUS NONE ON THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE FACTS AND HAVE LEFT THE REAL DECISION MAKING UP TO THE LAWYERS AND ADMINISTRATION WHO BENEFIT OFF OF STREACHING OUT THESE ISSUES TO THEIR MAX FOR OPTIMAL FINANCIAL BENEFIT. THERE ARE NO PROPERTY RIGHTS ADVOCATES ON THE CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE IF THERE WERE AND IF THEY HAD TOOK THE TIME TO READ THIS CASE WOULD KNOW HOW TO VOTE AGAINST WHATS HAPPENING AND NONE DID AND EVEN WORSE, LIED ABOUT IT ON THE RADIO AND STATED NOT ONE ITEM DISCUSSED BASED ON ANY REALITY OR FACT.
THE DISCOVERED ACTS OF THOSE HERE IN POWER LOCALLY CORRUPTING OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE WITH INJUSTICE IS REVOLTING, THOSE WHO ARE CORRUPTING IT CONTINUE TO VOTE INSTEAD OF ABSTAIN WHEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH THE ISSUE AND NO OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR THE LAWYER IS EVEN SPEAKIING OUT ON THAT ISSUE ALONE SAYS VOLUMES TO WHAT REAL ADGENDA THEY STAND BEHIND AND ITS NOT THE EVERY DAY PROPERTY OWNER IN THE CITY LIMITS AND RIGHTFUL JUSTICE. AND THINKING THAT YOUR (THE CITY COUNCILS) PLACE IN GOVERNMENT IS A RIGHT THAT GIVES YOU SOME KIND OF AUTHORITY TO TAKE AWAY MY INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AS A PERSON IS AN ATTEMPT TO USE ONLY THE PRIVILEGES WE AS CITIZENS GAVE YOU IN TRUST AND AS YOU ABUSE THAT VOTE TO DO YET ANOTHER UNJUST ACT, REMEMBER YOUR MOMENT, VOTE AND PRIVILEGES WILL BE SHORT LIVED AND MAY TURN AROUND TO BITE YOUR OWN SELF IN THE BUTT ONE DAY IF JUST ACTIONS FOR ALL ARE NOT FOLLOWED AT ALL POINTS OF YOUR DECISION MAKING. REMEMBER FOLKS, GARBAGE IN IS GARBAGE OUT AND I WILL ATTEST THAT THERE ARE NO PROPERTY RIGHTS ADVOCATES SITTING ON THE CITY COUNCIL OF SEBRING AT THIS TIME. ONLY HEY BUDDY, YOU SCRATCH MY BACK AND ILL SCRATCH YOUR BACK ADVOCATES. I THINK ITS TIME WE GOT RID OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OFFICIAL WHO ONLY LIVE ON OR RIGHT OFF, LAKEVIEW DRIVE. (OH WAIT, THAT WOULD BE ALL OF THEM!) THEIR NOT A TRUE REFLECTION OF WHO WE ARE IN THE CITY OF SEBRING, JUST THE 2%ERS. I WAS ASKED WHY I DIDENT RUN FOR A CITY COUNCIL POSITION, MY ANSWER, ITS UNETHICAL TO BE IN A COURT CASE WITH THE CITY,COUNTY, COUNCIL AND COMMISSION, I WOULD BE RUNNING AGAINST FOR A POLITICAL POSITION. WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRIING WHEN THIS ISSUES BEEN SETTLED. I KNOW THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE, AND CHANGE SOON. THE FIRST CHANGE WOULD BE TO REMOVE THE LONG TIME ADMINISTRATION AND ASSISTANT ADMIN.,AND LONG TIME LAWYER COUNCIL, THEY HAVE EATEN UP ENOUGH TAX PAYERS MONEY AT THE COST OF TAX PAYERS LIVELIHOODS AND HOMES. I WAS ALSO ASKED WHY I HAVE MY AMERICAN FLAGS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN ON MY WALL AND WHY I TYPE IN ALL CAPS. “MY ANSWER.” BECAUSE ONE IM MADDER THEN HELL AND IM NOT GONNA TAKE UNLEGAL ACTION BY MY LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANYMORE AND THIS IS MY WAY OF EXPRESSING MY ANGER IN A FORUM! AND TWO, MY PROPERTY AND HOME IS IN DISTRESS AGAINST MY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THIS IS THE WAY AN AMERICAN PROTESTS SUCH AND LETS OTHER AMERICANS KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUT LOCAL GOVERNEMENTS ACTIONS AND PUTS ALL ON ALERT ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOM FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOMS. HERE IS A LINK TO THE PROPER PROTICALS OF OUR BELOVID FLAG AND WHAT IT MEANS TO SHOW IT UPSIDE DOWN AS I HAVE ON MY PROPERTY. ( READ DOWN TO SECTION 8 ( http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagcode.htm ))

Tourist attraction (by: yabba dabba - 1/17/2013)

Add this property to the Sebring CrA and make it a tourist destination point... "The Little Wall That Could".

Bad Karma (by: Blindman - 1/16/2013)

All involved in pushing against this wall should be ashamed. The city council, engineers, and even the contractor if he goes through with the job. Maybe even the judge should reflect on how he ruled. Laws are laws but couldn't a little descretion and common since be used here? Ms. Mitchelllindo's wall should be left right where it is, If you tear it down your going to be wasting tax payer money for nothing and anger others as well. You should all remember, what goes around comes around, so just lit it be!