Smart Growth?

August 15, 2007

Angelenos can't get anywhere as it is. And now they want to pack even more people into already congested areas? Why are our elected officials pushing 'smart growth' when we don't have the transportation infrastructure to support it? The people making these decision should be made to drive their vehicles during rush hour from outlying cities like Simi Valley, Fontana, Garden Grove, or Corona, into the very areas they've targeted for high-density developments. They should be made to make the drive for six months before approving any more so-called 'smart growth' projects.

LA Weekly's David Zahniser wrote an very eye-opening article entitled "What's Smart About Smart Growth?" Be sure to read all of the related articles under the "More On Smart Growth" heading in the yellow sidebar to get the full effect what the future holds for L.A. residents.

The whole premise of 'smart growth' is for residents who live in these dwellings to give up their cars and use public transit. Fat chance of that happening. First, the transit system has to be in place and reliable. MTA's proposed Expo Line may have just been dealt a fatal blow in a budget-slashing session by our state's lawmakers. For the whole story, check out this LA Weekly article "Sacramento Bites Back".

Things got worse last Friday when the state budget finally got approved. Lawmakers conducted a $1.3 billion ambush on the funds generated by sales tax on gasoline - funds that were supposed to be used for badly-needed transportation projects - and used the booty to help balance the budget. Where's the proportional cut-back in development plans? At this rate, our highly-anticipated high-speed rail project will never get off the ground. Smart growth planners continue to write checks the City cannot cash.

What's the saddest part about all of this? Unless you read publications like the LA Weekly, listen to local public radio, or search for blogs like this one, you will never hear about major projects like 'smart growth'. You will never hear about how they will radically change the face of the city you live in and drastically affect the quality of your life… until it's too late.