Michigan Woman Faces 93 Days in Jail for Planting a Vegetable Garden
by Colleen Vanderlinden on 07. 8.11

It just doesn't get more ridiculous than this.

Julie Bass of Oak Park, Michigan -- a mother of 6, law-abiding citizen, and gardener -- is facing 93 days in jail after being charged with a misdemeanor.

Her crime? Planting a vegetable garden in the front yard.

Bass says that she planted the garden after her front yard was torn up for some sewer repairs. Rather than wasting the opportunity to start with a clean slate by planting a lawn, she decided to really put the area to use, and plant a vegetable garden.

Her garden consists of 5 raised beds, where she grows a mix of squashes, corn, tomatoes, flowers, and other veggies. Bass received a warning from the city telling her to remove the vegetable garden, because it doesn't adhere to city ordinances (more on that later.) When she refused, she was ticketed and charged with a misdemeanor. Her trial, before a jury, is set to begin on July 26th. If she is found guilty, she can be sentenced to up to 93 days in jail.

About the City Ordinance

Supposedly, Bass is in noncompliance with a city ordinance that states that only "suitable" plant material is allowed on the lawn area of residences. When local media asked city planner Kevin Rulkowski what that meant, he said suitable means "common:" lawn, nice shrubs, and flowers. However, the city ordinance does not specifically state that those are the only allowed plant materials.

About Oak Park

This is not some gated community with HOA regulations. This is an ordinary, working class neighborhood in Oakland County, Michigan. Like nearly every other city in my home state right now, Oak Park is facing financial issues. Here at home, people are amazed that a cash-strapped city has the resources to investigate, charge, and prosecute a resident for something as innocuous as planting a vegetable garden.

What's Being Done

This story is gaining traction all over the web. Gawker covered it this morning. There are Facebook pages devoted to supporting Mrs. Bass and her family during this ordeal. Will social media help change the city's mind? That's what many of us are hoping. Local television affiliates for ABC and Fox news have already covered the story, and media attention continues to grow.

And people wonder why I hate libtards?

I 'believe' you have called me a 'libtard' before... and I can honestly say that what they are doing is not right.

I 'believe' you have called me a 'libtard' before... and I can honestly say that what they are doing is not right.

I know that I have.

The problem here is that the far left, progressive, libtard, socialists have formed a huge tent. They claim to be for women, minorities, gays, Jews, Muslims, atheists, environmentalists, poor people, unions, middle class, and quite a few others. Obviously, they can't actually be for all of those groups' interests because many of them contradict one another. But that doesn't matter to the libtard, corrupt, hypocritical, bald faced lying politican. They'll tell each individual group what they think they want to hear. Unfortunately, many people vote for those scumbags based upon a handful of issues instead of looking at the bigger picture.

Therefore, right or wrong, I call anyone willing to vote for those commies, "libtards" since they enable them to get into or stay in office. People need to wake up and find out the truth about the entire "progressive" agenda before it's too late. Do some research. Why is it that Communist Party USA and the Democratic Socialists of America also call themselves, "progressives"? That's because it's all the same crap.

I'm doing to stick by my "this is not a conservative or liberal thing."