Saturday, December 19, 2015

Lehigh Valley Growth.. So What!

We constantly hear about building more apartments and houses so as to encourage more people to relocate here as if this were a good thing. That's not the way I see it.

Bigger Isn't Better
We already have way too many here in the Lehigh Valley unable to find work. This especially in light of Rodale, Air Products, Mack Trucks and Kraft announcing layoffs of over a 1,000 of well paying jobs that can never be replaced.

If bigger were better why are the New York City & Philly schools broke along with MTA & SEPTA as just two examples?

To my way of thinking we are heading in the wrong direction. Instead of crowded highways as a result of over development we should be focused on how we should deal with people who are already here.

How about this instead?
(1) Preserve what little farmland is left and utilize the older vacant properties we already have.
(2) Focus on quality over quantity when it comes to future taxpayer investments.
(3) Provide for the needs of those already living here for decades before assuming people coming here from outside will have a vested interest in what lies ahead in the future of the Lehigh Valley over the long term. Most of these will just be passing through.

I have nothing against change, but when changes are made I have a problem with crowding every possible person within every square inch as if it were an improvement in the quality of life. I absolutely cannot understand how putting people into chicken coops (apartments) and having to slave away at minimum wages to pay for them should be a goal. Neither should we try and pack people (and their kids) like sardines onto public transportation to cart grocery bags home nor go to/from work. Yet that seems what will be the outcome if we continue to head in this direction.

The continued goal of growing this area (as I see it) is NOT a good thing. People leaving New York City or other areas are wishing to escape that sort of thing. Yet they are creating the very same conditions down the road they sought to leave behind. Therefore I see no good reason to pursue the path we seem to be headed on here in the Lehigh Valley.




There will be those who say "if you don't like it... leave".
My response...
     "Why should I?"
     "You're the ones...."

2 comments:

  1. i mostly agree, but i'm not an advocate of "preserving farmland". that process translates to taxpayers paying for land which the public will not own, and which would probably not be developed anyway. truth to told, in our era of corporate farming, we already have an excess of farmland.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you're talking about taxpayers' buying land. I'm thinking more along the lines of zoning restrictions.

      Delete

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