Mr. Grimes correctly points out there is no "right to affordable
housing" codified in the U.S. Constitution.
However, I am sure we can all agree that each of us has a right to act
upon, change, and make determinations about the city we live in. After
all, isn't that what landlords, developers, and real estate agents are
doing daily?
I would go further to say that the city is a public space whose
characteristics must be held accountable to the needs and desires of
residents. Therefore, if we need more affordable housing to maintain
our city and it's residents, then we should seek it.
Who among us would claim that a vibrant, sustainable residential
neighborhood can be comprised entirely of espresso & bagel stands with
no grocery stores, laundromats, post offices, and etc? If this is
clear, then it should also be clear why its necessary to have a
diversity of housing that encompasses affordable housing to accommodate
a wide cross section of residents.
We should acknowledge that pocket depth alone should not be the measure
of the concerns of and influence of the city's residents. After all,
isn't that the point of the U.S. Constitution and the voting process?
Rather than acknowledge the dignity of people to be more than a herd of
sheep at a shearing, Mr Grimes instead tries to scare us into fearing
our government by saying the only alternative is "Soviet-style apartment
blocks". However, I do not find this scary but laughable since he is
suggesting we should fear tyranny from elected officials making public
policy but embrace tyranny when implemented by corporations whose
actions are cloaked with the magic buzz words "private enterprise" or
"free market".
Mr. Grimes states that when he can no longer afford to live here, he
expects to leave. Perhaps Mr. Grimes prefers the motif of being a
drifter and abandoning San Francisco if it turns into a giant
"Golden-Gated community" for the jet set who just come in for a little
shopping at expensive curio stores. I, on the other hand, do not. I
expect to stay and expect to have my say.
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