That's awful harsh, Dan.

Ernest, I've already apologized to the councilman's assistant on
behalf of myself and my peers (meaning you). Twice actually, once on
the phone and once in a follow-up note. In my case it is a simple case
of human relations. An unreserved apology from Brian might have real
value.

Can you relate what the Councilman's side of the story is.

I can't have the whole story and probably never will. One phone
call. The councilman's assistant was very careful with her words, as
she should be. It started as an entirely mundane case of neighbor
complaint. Brian's airplane parking spot is hard against the
neighbor's bedroom window. It also appears that he does design and
prototype manufacturing work from home, in a shed behind the house. I
don't know if that too was a city problem, but it is rarely popular
with neighbors. Brian refused to comply with the usual warnings, so
they moved to a citation under existing code and things escalated from
there. There was apparently a trip to the zoning office that included
intemporate behavior and most of the seven words, plus other exchanges,
court appearances then and upcoming, etc.

In a city the size of Jacksonville (huge), 16 councilmen don't slam
dunk new legislation just to deal with a single individual unless they
are ****ed. My point is that we (pilots and builders) are just plain
stupid if we **** off city officials. Even when wrong they hold all
the cards. The cards are called votes, and we are a tiny minority.

I've drank a lot of beer with some of the city councilmen who run my
airport. I helped a few more get elected last time around. They
return my phone calls. Maybe it is a better way?

Dan