Rush's Morning Update: Buzz Off!

You homeowners need to pay extra close attention to this one. A Sunnyvale, California couple was hauled into court -- because the guy next door complained that their redwood trees cast too much shade on his solar panels.

The homeowners planted trees on their property way before their environmentalist-wacko neighbor installed his solar panels in 2001. And the trees did what trees do: they grew.

So the neighbor, Mark Vargas, ran to court, citing "The Solar Shade Control Act" -- which is a law mandating that homeowners keep trees or shrubs form shading more than 10 percent of a neighbor's solar panels between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day. (This is ridiculous!) Anyway, existing trees are exempt at the time solar panels are installed, but new growth isn't -- I still can't... We have a law here about shading your neighbor's solar panels from 10 to 2?

Anyway, a judge ordered the homeowners to chop down a quarter of their redwood trees. They've spent 25 grand, here, to defend themselves; they don't have any more money to fund an appeal. Vargas invested 70 grand in his solar panels; he wants the law to be strengthened. He says: "I think it's unfair that a neighbor can take away this source of energy from another neighbor." (This is a bunch of lunatics!)

You remember 2005? Liberals on the US Supreme Court said in that eminent domain case that homeowners' property can be taken and handed over to developers on the whim of politicians? Well, now your trees can be taken at the whims of environmentalist wackos. To those of you who still believe in freedom and "private property rights" in California, I have two words for you: Buzz off!

Read the Background Material on the Morning Update...
• AP: Neighbors Clash Over Trees, Solar Power
• Contra Costa Times: Redwood Growers Told to Let the Sun Shine