Commentary: Get the government off my lawn

(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dandelions are in full bloom in front of Salt Lake City Hall on Monday April 23, 2018.Alisa was shocked, when opening her mail last summer, to find a letter from Roy City, giving her notice to appear in court for a misdemeanor charge. (Her name has been changed to protect her identity.) Alisa’s own local government was prosecuting her for allowing dandelions to grow on her property — an act that is prohibited by the municipal code.

Just four months earlier, code enforcement officers had notified Alisa to fix the problem, and she quickly paid to have the area cut and sprayed — but, as is common with tedious weeds, the dandelions eventually sprouted their…