The Washington Post has a poll on its website asking people to vote on whether there should or shouldn’t be rules about residents hanging their washing on clothes lines.
In Richmond, Virginia an amendment to a bill was proposed which would allow all residents to utilise wind energy by hanging clothes outside. However according to the Post, the proposal put forward by Senators Puller and Sickles turned into a class row “what happens when someone from northern Virginia comes and says ‘this looks like a West Virginia subdivision” said opposing Del. Orrock. Apparently he backtracked fast saying “If I preface that with ‘God bless them,’ does that make it ok?”
The bill for clothes line freedom needed a two-thirds majority to pass because it applies only to one region of the state and on this basis failed with a 60-40 vote. If you go to the Washington Post website you can vote for yourself.
In the UK the Conservatives have just brought out their new proposals for more local discretion on decision making and funding, together with ditching regional level planning. I hope that this is not going to lead to detailed debate on the visual merits of clothes lines in UK towns over doing something about climate change such as trying to get good transport and renewable energy infrastructure in place. As Post writer Fisher notes – this is (an example) of how a “Democracy, or perhaps majority-based governing system works”.
