As I peruse Facebook and drive through the local communities, I see a lot of people in snits about what is being purposed to be built in their neighborhoods. Pure NIMBYISTS (NIMBY=Not In My Back Yard)
Lately it is a gun range or natural gas station. Everyone wants the protection of a well-trained police force and cheaper energy as long as they don't have to see it or be near it.
I think the 'everyone gets a trophy' ideologue has been with some of the older people for longer than they would like to admit, and not just with today's kids. . "I want all the benefits, but I don't want to put in the time, effort, and sacrifice." <BUAAA!>. In other words, don't build that in my neighborhood, build it somewhere else, my neighborhood is too good for that kind of thing.
I am not going to get into the political stance of either of these issues, I have my opinions and everyone has theirs. I understand the necessity and vital need for both. I can empathize (and sympathize) with those with projects that environmental impact will outweigh the benefit (i.e., Keystone XL) and not wanting it in their backyard, but neither of the aforementioned issues will have an environmental impact.
Some are more then just NIMBY, there are some that are CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything).
I am neither pro-build or anti-build, I am more of...here is the regulations, stay within the guidelines, and build it right. No matter the cost of the project there is a proper way of doing it, it is the cost of doing business. I guess that same philosophy can be applied to the two issues above, it is the cost of doing business and if done right, it will benefit everyone.
I guess we can always build a wall and hope some else will pay for it.
If it could be TRUSTED to be "done right", that would be one thing...but, so many corners are cut these days, & fines for bad behaviors are seen as "business costs" that don't outweigh profits, ...and the damage is often irreparable... as well you know.
ReplyDeleteTo some extent this may be an issue, and there are those that slip through the regulations. I worked with a local regulatory board and got caught with our pants down and was forced to permit a development that should have been forced to go some where else. I am well aware of both sides.
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