An editorial in the Kentucky Standard on October 20, 2013, began with an accurate statement—building permits are facts of life. In its editorial, the Standard was responding to a controversy about a ramp to a residential home. Neighbors had constructed the ramp to enable a child with a disability to have independent access to the house, without the required permits.
The Kentucky Standard is an award-winning newspaper and an asset to Bardstown and Nelson County. However, for some unknown reason, the Standard’s editorial board adopted a preachy tone: “What those people failed to realize was that the commission didn’t cause the problem. They’re just doing their job which is to enforce regulations.” The editorial continued: “It’s much easier to attack a faceless agency than to acknowledge that the issue is not with the commission, but rather with the property owner, who failed to follow legal protocol.”