I Live In Providence District

By: Lee Diamond
Published On: 6/4/2007 6:38:17 PM

I live in Providence District.  My activities of late are a result of seeing sprawl continue unabated over the last 15 years.  I expect Democrats to do a lot better in the areas of land use, environmental stewardship and resources dedicated to mass transit than Republicans.

If they do not, I cannot simply ignore that and act like it is ok.
Too many people do not seem to understand the price we've paid for over-development.  This applies to the taxes long time residents pay to essentially subsidize new residents.  More importantly to me is what we've done to our environment.  Personally, I am disappointed to see environmental initiatives undertaken in an election year as part of an effort to make up for what has not been done.

The McMansions with their excessive floor plans are here to stay.  The gridlock is not going to get much better in the near future without aggressive leadership.

We need to invest in attractive buses that people will want to ride now.  We need to push hard for sufficient Metro funding now.

If we had a decent president of our country, localities would not even have the dramatic opportunity they do have at this moment to make such a huge difference on environmental policy.

Perhaps I have contributed to personalizing current political battles, but I have been frustrated for a long time by the things I see around me.


Comments



Thank you, Lee...fight on (HerbE - 6/5/2007 11:38:13 AM)
for your liberties to post words of frustration. Without them our "leaders" think that we agree with their decisions to bulldoze us over. We must speak out and ask for representation...otherwise it will continue as a tyranny.

We need new leadership that will advance good policy, not just give it lip service to assist in reelection bids. It's the details in the policies that the citizen activists are looking at not just the words. Unfortunately, too many groups, like Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Smart Growth Coalition, etc, are looking at the broad brush of words and not the details that make communities work and clean the environment.

WE have to read the fine print. WE have to hold politicians to their campaign promises. WE have to vote them out of office for their abdication of responsibility to represent US.

It's time for a change of leadership. It's time to vote Hall, for all.