General Discussion

sl8

(13,841 posts) Sat Mar 31, 2018, 07:55 AM Mar 2018

Iowa man wins legal battle to say hometown stinks

From http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43598832

Iowa man wins legal battle to say hometown stinks

30 March 2018

Josh Harms considers Sibley, Iowa his hometown

A town in Iowa has agreed to drop a lawsuit against a resident who criticised officials because the place smells like "rancid dog food".

A federal court sided with web developer Josh Harms, issuing a permanent injunction ordering Sibley, Iowa, officials not to sue him.

Sibley officials threatened legal action over Mr Harms' website 'Should You Move to Sibley, Iowa?'

Mr Harms argued the threat was a violation of his right to free speech.

...

More at link.

From https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/2018/03/29/iowa-town-rancid-dog-food-sibley-aclu-free-speech-website/470160002/

...

The injunction, which the city agreed to, blocks Sibley officials from “directing Harms not to speak with reporters, threatening to bring a lawsuit, or actually bringing a lawsuit against" Harms.

Sibley also agreed to:

* Provide training on the First Amendment to city staff.
* Issue a written apology to Harms.
* Cover $20,475 in attorneys’ fees for the time the ACLU and its cooperating attorney spent defending Harms’ speech rights.
* Pay $6,500 in damages to Harms.

“I'm happy that the city of Sibley has recognized they were wrong to threaten me for the criticism I've written and published online," Harms said.

...

Farmer-Rick

(10,197 posts)

1. Wow, you now have to sue for your free speech rights?

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 08:11 AM

Mar 2018

Only in Trump's Russian America.

So Sibley, Iowa really does smell because of the odor coming from a pork blood processing plant.

Here in rural east TN there use to be a huge stink from a chemical plant, you could even smell it in DollyWood and Gatlinburg when the wind blew in the right direction. I never understood why people would go to those places when they smelled so bad. But it went away with the bush crash.

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)

2. Idiots

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 09:09 AM

Mar 2018

The whole point of the 1st amendment was to give the people the right to speak out about their government.

sl8

(13,841 posts)

3. Yes, and I think that the First Amendment training for the city staff was a nice touch. n/t

Reply to Major Nikon (Reply #2)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 09:17 AM

Mar 2018

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)

4. Humiliation is a good teacher

Reply to sl8 (Reply #3)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 09:18 AM

Mar 2018

EricMaundry

(1,619 posts)

5. So the City of Sibley tried to shut him up

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 09:19 AM

Mar 2018

... and now he has gotten a million dollars worth of free publicity and tens of thousands more people now know that
this town stinks.

Probably why the town stinks.

dlk

(11,574 posts)

6. Is there Any Grievance, Perceived or Otherwise, Republicans Don't Sue Over?

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 09:23 AM

Mar 2018

Pretty ironic for the party of tort reform. They are willing to sue anyone at the drop of a hat.

paleotn

(17,937 posts)

7. Well, that was breathtakingly stupid of them....

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 09:37 AM

Mar 2018

Even if they were just trying to scare him into submission. Seriously, how much tourist traffic does Sibley Iowa get anyway? Probably not a really popular destination.

dalton99a

(81,543 posts)

12. Huge tourist attraction: "High-protein animal feed supplement made from pig plasma

Reply to paleotn (Reply #7)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 11:04 AM

Mar 2018

- makes the town smell like dead animals or sewage"

MrScorpio

(73,631 posts)

8. Anyone else think that The Onion could have written this?

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 09:58 AM

Mar 2018

flying_wahini

(6,626 posts)

9. He's crazy to stay. They will find a way to get back at him.

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 10:01 AM

Mar 2018

If he was my son I would be worried.

PatrickforO

(14,585 posts)

10. Hmm...how about they try and fix the odor?

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 10:09 AM

Mar 2018

Anyone thought of that...oh, Republicans are in majority. No surprise then. Ignore the problem and sue the person bringing it up.

dalton99a

(81,543 posts)

13. "largely not a problem in Sibley anymore"

Reply to PatrickforO (Reply #10)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 11:11 AM

Mar 2018

http://shouldyoumovetosibleyia.com/

But again, let me reiterate: the problem with "The Blood Plant" is largely not a problem in Sibley anymore. It's my understanding that eventually the city began fining the facility for public nuisance violations and both sides filed lawsuits against each other, but I'm personally unable to find much news on the subject.
...

What Sibley has going against it:

3. There are too many damned Republicans.

Comatose Sphagetti

(836 posts)

11. I used to live in Iowa.

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2018, 10:59 AM

Mar 2018

"Iowa" is an Indian word roughly translating to, "Land where Winter sucks."

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