Thread: Here a Chick, There a Chick, Everywhere a Chick, Chick

Chickens: Economic Development Authority in Fairfax County

Here a Chick, There a Chick, Everywhere a Chick, Chick

By Michael R. Shannon
Saturday, May 22, 2010

Tuesday was a time of feverish activity for the Economic Development Authority in Fairfax County, just North of where I live. As soon as the leadership saw the front page of the newspaper featuring a drive to bring chickens back to Prince William County, the fax machines in the Government Center were put on full alert.

Every business thinking of locating in Northern Virginia would soon know of PWC’s rekindled passion for poultry.

Don’t you know there’s nothing like a few chicken feathers blowing through the background of a TV interview with our county officials to attract the urban sophisticate to your neck of the woods?

Residents of my county are already viewed by Beltway elitists as an inbred bunch of rednecks whose main activity is keeping the Mexican down. “Chicken rightsâ€

Of course, those keeping illegal fighting cocks probably would be defended by the elite as "expressing their ethnic heritage". (or simply by intimidation of elected officials by politically active ethno-centric special interest groups). However, some of my hispanic neighbors in my former residential city outside Dallas regularly keep chickens in their yards: I don't know if they were illegal in a residential area, but they were well cared for and presented no difficulties. But at the same time I don't believe this would have been allowed of others if this was a zoning infraction.