At Monday's commission workshop, Planner Newman asked commissioners to request the state legislature grant the county the power to regulate "the growth of trees, vines, grass, underbrush or the accumulation of debris, trash, litter, garbage, or any combination of the preceding elements, or a vacant dilapidated building or structure" if an owner-occupied residence property.

Based on the response of several of the commissioners, it didn't sound like Newman had much support for his proposal. Commissioner Austin Shaver was the most out spoken in opposition to the idea. Shaver pointed out that there are areas in the county, such as in the cities or regulated communities where people can live to take advantage of stiff regulations but that most county residents had no desire to have more government regulations to their private property rights.

Those of us who have chosen to live in the county have done so many times because we enjoy the freedoms of less control of our property ownership. If we want to let the grass grow, that's our right. If a neighbor has a complaint against his neighbor, that's what the courts are for. Keep the government out of our business.

We don't need Loudon County officials measuring our grass. The government the governs least, governs best.