So many of my friends are visibly upset when they think of what life would be like without SMART growth, zoning, city planning, etc. They tell me that evil developers would pave over the nation. I know in their hearts, they want what I do, nice communities to live in, beautiful natural places to visit, clean air and water.

But the command and control nature of planning every element of a community seems to have the opposite effect. Worse, the methods used to do this allow the same "evil developers" to skip the niceties of buying real estate on the open market, and use a government coercion to steal large tracts of land, at "fair market value," for redevelopment of "blighted" areas.

SMART growth and city plans appear to merely line the pockets of politicians and an elite group of developers at the expense of the little guy.

Someday, I hope my friends who fear the Evil Developers, come to see the Evil Planning Politicians in the same distasteful light. Meanwhile, I hope I get to keep my home and that it will not be stolen for some hair-brained planning experiment that will be ripped back out in another 50 years.

My heart goes out to this family and I am writing a letter to the mayor - I encourage anyone else who finds this distasteful to do the same...
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