Boca Raton, FL officials crack down on Halloween dance

Zombie Jackson is most displeased with stupid bureaucrats

The government: Forever protecting the people from threats du jour, such as squatters, lemonade stands, Halloween dances:

Robotic monsters, a holiday music-and-light show and the fountains dyed to look like blood. All that in Rick Newman's front yard isn't a problem for [Boca Raton, FL] code-enforcement officials.

But the kids who volunteered to dance Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in his driveway apparently crossed a line.

Newman has been attracting hundreds of visitors with a high-tech Halloween display for the past four years, but on Monday the city delivered a letter saying that the dancers and emailed flyers make the show a commercial activity, and that's forbidden in a residential neighborhood.

"Fundamentally, what he's doing is not customarily associated with residential use," Deputy City Manager George Brown said. "Performing live dance shows on the property and inviting people into the neighborhood via advertising qualify it as commercial activity."

Newman faces a fine of up to $1,000 if he goes ahead with the show, and he could face a fine of up to $5,000 for each repeat violation, Brown said.

How they’re able to classify a free activity that brings in exactly zero revenue for anyone as “commercial” is beyond me. But, hey, as long as officials are able to swing their bureaucratic dicks around and all that.

(via @HZHemmingway)

Tags: Rick Newman • Halloween • Boca Raton, FL • George Brown