NIMBY

If you're around me for very long, you'll know that I'm not a NIMBY (not in my back yard) guy. If my neighbor wants to put a cell tower on his property, go for it. If Duke Energy wants to build a nuke plant a mile from home, I say get 'er done. If Rumpke wants to put a landfill three blocks up wind from my place, I'm not protesting, I'm moving out.

In fact, when I lived in the city, I was presented a petition to sign to block a group of mentally handicapped guys from moving into a four family two doors down from me. The petitioner told me they would bring sex offenders and criminals to the home. I told the guy he should be ashamed of himself. All those guys ever did was sit on their stoop and smoke cigarettes. They didn't bother our neighborhood one bit.

In my mind, we all have to sacrifice to have things like cell phones, sewage systems, power plants, etc. So if I don't like what's going in. I'm not protesting; I'm moving. These things have to go somewhere and if I don't like its proximity to me, I'll simply move.

But if you want me to show up for A NIMBY protest, just tell me that government housing is coming near to my palatial estate in "Redville".

Why? Because the people in my neighborhood chose to live there for a variety of reasons and they've earned privilege of choosing where they want to live. Seriously, why should someone get a free pass to live in my neighborhood?

I don't get a free upgrade to live in an exclusive Cincinnati suburb like Indian Hill.

So I can appreciate the crap that the people in Green Township are going through to keep government housing out of their community.

Of course, liberal types would accuse these residents of being bigots because they don't want derelicts living in their neighborhood.

But just read the words of someone getting government housing of what they're trying to escape..........

Charlyce Young used to sleep on the floor in case a stray bullet came through the bedroom window.

"It was like living in Iraq," she said, of her former Winton Terrace home.

Now who wants that shit in their neighborhood? In fact, many people earn what they can to get the hell out of that mess.

Or how about the opinion of a woman who works at CMHA....

"They think that when people move from trash, they bring trash with them," said Lacretia Johnson, a former member of the housing authority's board who lives in public housing in Green Township. "That's not necessarily so."

"That's not necessarily so?" Are you serious?

Mechanically, you're asking residents to give money to people so they can live, not for subsistence, but to live their lifestyles.

Imagine a total stranger coming to your door and asking "Excuse me. I can't afford to live in this neighborhood, but if you give me $100 a month, I should be able to swing it. Oh and by the way, we may or may not bring our trash with us."

How many people would do that? Zero! That's how many.

The fact is. It should suck to be poor. See if you are poor and don't want to be, it should be a great motivational tool for you.

I'll be happy to let government housing in my neighborhood the very day the government gives me a check to move into Wyoming where they have a lot better schools and city services than I do here. But I'm not holding my breath.

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