Salem Mayor Statement: "Heartwarming Response" to City Shutting Down Jan Cline’s Garage Sale

August 24, 2011

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You can’t, I suppose, blame the Salem mayor for trying to make lemonade out of lemons in the case of seriously ill businesswoman Jan Cline. Unless, of course, Jan Cline were actually selling lemonade and then the mayor would probably shut that down, too.


Jan’s tale has made national media. Her name has been on the lips of scores of radio talk hosts and TV anchors all over the country as an example of government regulation run amok.

When diagnosed with a devastating bone cancer, the Keizer woman was forced to leave her home and moved in with a friend in Salem whose home would accommodate her specialized chair. Jan lives her life in that chair.


After crying “for about a minute,” Jan asked her friend to help her sell her things to help pay for what she knows will be huge medical bills. She doesn’t know how much the bills are at this point because she’s afraid to open them. 

Last week I talked to the woman who says she’s resorted to “liquidating her life” and “selling her life for dimes and nickels” at a back yard Salem garage sale to help pay her medical bills.

The self employed businesswoman has been forced to put her toy selling business on hold. She still answers phones occasionally for her limousine service but has had to hand part of that off, too. In other words, after spending her life taking care of herself and paying her own bills, she’s found herself dependent on others. She hates it. 
So she decided to run the garage sales –very classy looking ones, too—in her friend’s back yard. An unobtrusive sign in the front directed buyers to the back.

That was the case until one neighbor ratted her out and the Salem cossacks came and shut her down. It turns out you’re only supposed to have three garage sales a year in Salem. That’s to prevent rampant running of rummage sales that your neighbors undoubtedly would have if the government didn’t protect you from them.

Of course Salem thinks nothing of hot and cold running illegal aliens hawking food at the favored hang out spots where they stand on street corners looking for jobs from employers who illegally hire them. Hey cossacks! Over here! 
Right now 59 inmates with ICE holds get three hots and a cot at the Marion County Jail. How many more of their illegal friends are selling drugs, assaulting their wives, having more anchor babies, selling sliders out of the backs of their Pontiacs or drugs from their Mexican Mafia sponsored marijuana grows while Jan Cline sits in her chair and tries to make a few dollars to pay off medical bills treating a terminal disease? 

Salem’s mayor’s head would explode going through that thought process. Here’s her statement she issued over the past 24 hours:

In the last few days, City of Salem staff and I became aware of a heart-wrenching situation involving one of our residents. We are working diligently to find solutions, while people all across the nation are hearing about Salem and yard sales – and contacting our offices.
The City of Salem’s code enforcement staff recently investigated a complaint and confirmed that a yard sale in Northeast Salem operated by Ms. Jan Cline exceeded the City’s limit of three sales per year. This rule is in place to protect neighbors from noise and traffic impacts.
The officer explained the code, but did not issue a citation or fine. The City has not penalized Ms. Cline in any way.
City staff also offered options that would allow Ms. Cline to continue her sale online, or by moving to another location – a commercial site, or the home of a friend or neighbor.
After learning of Ms. Cline’s illness, the officer and his supervisor informed City leaders who immediately contacted business and faith-based groups to identify resources to help Ms. Cline.
I am pleased to report on what has happened since then. Local and national media attention to the story has created a heartwarming response. Many organizations and individuals in Salem and across the nation have offered support. By Friday, an account set up to help Ms. Cline cope with expenses of her illness had already raised $28,000.
As Salem’s Mayor, I am confident that City staff have responded with professionalism and sensitivity to this issue. And I am extremely grateful for the heartfelt response of people in my city and many, many others.

Mayor Anna Peterson

Isn’t that nice? They didn’t cite her! And THEY brought her all the help and got to the media to facilitate this! And LOOK! She could have another neighbor host the sale and then they’d be within the law! 

City staff also offered options that would allow Ms. Cline to continue her sale online, or by moving to another location – a commercial site, or the home of a friend or neighbor.

Would the neighbor have complained about that one, too?

They went after Jan Cline. It’s easier when a citizen wants to abide by the law to get them to bend. Real criminals fight back. With guns.

Tell ’em where you saw it. Http://www.victoriataft.com