(This article was originally published on the Freedom Foundation blog on June 29, 2012, written by Glen Morgan, while he was the Property Rights Director at the Freedom Foundation. The original article posting was deleted by the Freedom Foundation in 2017. It has been reposted here exactly as it was originally written)
In this video (note- video is missing), we discuss how one of the Board Members of the Spies “Friends” of the San Juans was recently caught violating the very land use laws that Spies “Friends” of the San Juans have been forcing upon the citizens of San Juan County. This was the same board member who was pontificating about the rule of law and how everyone needs to follow these rules at the Orcas Island circle meeting here. Keep in mind, this meeting was called by the Spies “Friends” of the San Juans to justify their efforts to harass and spy on Charles Dalton, a local farmer on Orcas Island. However, this wasn’t just any law Vivien Burnett was violating. She was violating the law, that beyond any other ordinance in San Juan County history should be called the Spies “Friends” of San Juans ordinance making it illegal for guest houses to be built in San Juan County.
This ADU/guesthouse ordinance was opposed by 73.5% of the voters in San Juan County, but the Spies “Friends” of San Juans sued San Juan County, filed with the Growth Management Hearings Board and rammed this law down the throats of the residents of San Juan County anyway. It isn’t yet clear if the Spies/Hypocrites “Friends” of the San Juans have a policy for their board members or donors to comply with San Juan County rules, or if they believe the rules only apply to the peasant class not enlightened enough to be on their board or perhaps support them financially.
Our message to Vivian Burnett, board member of the Spies/Hypocrites “Friends of the San Juans” is that she should be allowed to have a guesthouse on her 9.5 acre property. Vivian’s expectations for her property are perfectly reasonable. However, your frequent attacks on her neighbors and their ability to “do as you do but not as you say” is a classic example of how the modern environmental movement has lost its way. How many other Board members and major donors of Spies/Hypocrites “Friends” of the San Juans are in a similar position to Vivian, but they have not yet been caught?
