Painted into a corner
Phyllis Bjornson, a 77-year-old Edmonton grandmother, has attempted to scrub the graffiti off of her garage over a dozen times, even taking a toothbrush to the stucco wall.
On July 10 she received a letter from the city stating she would have to get rid of the spray paint or face a $250 fine.
"I've been sick to my stomach I've been so riled up about this," she said. "I'm the victim and I pay the price. That doesn't make sense."
When Bjornson contacted the city about her predicament, she was told she would have to pay to have the building professionally repainted.
That's right, the victim has to pay for what some young thug did to her private property.
Coun. Tony Caterina said Bjornson's case exemplifies why he's against the ticketing.
"This was my biggest concern, that we were going to go out and ticket property owners," he said.
"Now not only do they have to pay for the damage, they have to pay to have it (cleaned). I hope at this point now we can do something for this senior."
The city is approaching the graffiti problem in a backwards manner, Bjornson adds. Instead of targeting the victims, they should be looking for the suspects.
"I'm upset more with the city (than the vandals) because that bylaw doesn't even look for the vandals," she said.
This is the city of Edmonton at it's finest! Why do only lefty idiots run for city council?
