Why is "growth" good? I'd like fewer people in the area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Bethesda and work in DC. I don't understand why we need ever greater density and more homes and more companies to come to the area. The congestion is terrible and the strain on schools and public services is annoying.

Personally, I would be happier if we stayed flat or, better yet, some people moved away!

+1

I'd be in favor of decreasing density. DC is already one of the most densely populated places in America.

Density is not the problem - too many people driving is and there are lots of not very dense cities and metro areas that have horrible traffic.

The less dense areas in this region are the ones where traffic is the worst.

Traffic isn't that bad in DC proper or most of the close in suburbs but we could care less as we frequently go days without using our car though the aggressive driving and honking from frustrated MD drivers is a real quality of life issue - I've abandoned hope that any of these idiots will ever figure out that their life on the road is a little bit different than what was promised in the Subaru/Range Rover/Infiniti/Acura ads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Growth is coming, because the US population is growing, while many areas of the country are in terminal decline. This region is relatively wealthy/dynamic.

So the only question is whether we have smart growth - investing in public transport, cycling infrastructure, preserving green space etc - or chaotic growth- with more congestion, overcrowding etc.

Because certain policymakers, who work just down the road, decided that their corporate donors needed more customers and cheaper labor. Immigrants and their children account for the growth, not births to the native population. It would be pretty easy to stop or reduce "growth", but that wouldn't meet the economic needs of our overseers.

This.

It's about cheap labor and votes for certain wealthy people. That's why the growth is allowed unfettered.

Immigrants and their children is me and my family. We're not cheap. And we want more growth.

Please clarify if you are a legal immigrant or a legal immigrant.

I am also an immigrant, but there is definitely a difference in wages. And that’s why business owners like to exploit illegal immigrants.

Clarify what?

Whether you are a legal immigrant or an illegal immigrant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Growth is coming, because the US population is growing, while many areas of the country are in terminal decline. This region is relatively wealthy/dynamic.

So the only question is whether we have smart growth - investing in public transport, cycling infrastructure, preserving green space etc - or chaotic growth- with more congestion, overcrowding etc.

Because certain policymakers, who work just down the road, decided that their corporate donors needed more customers and cheaper labor. Immigrants and their children account for the growth, not births to the native population. It would be pretty easy to stop or reduce "growth", but that wouldn't meet the economic needs of our overseers.

This.

It's about cheap labor and votes for certain wealthy people. That's why the growth is allowed unfettered.

Immigrants and their children is me and my family. We're not cheap. And we want more growth.

Please clarify if you are a legal immigrant or a legal immigrant.

I am also an immigrant, but there is definitely a difference in wages. And that’s why business owners like to exploit illegal immigrants.

Clarify what?

Whether you are a legal immigrant or an illegal immigrant.

You think there are illegal immigrants posting on DCUM that they are not cheap and want more growth? get out here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Bethesda and work in DC. I don't understand why we need ever greater density and more homes and more companies to come to the area. The congestion is terrible and the strain on schools and public services is annoying.

Personally, I would be happier if we stayed flat or, better yet, some people moved away!

+1

I'd be in favor of decreasing density. DC is already one of the most densely populated places in America.

Fewer condos, more parks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, if you don’t like this area’s growth then help contribute and move out of the area please. Smart growth means building infrastructure ahead of the anticipated growth. Other than that, growth is inevitable for an area like DC metro. Drive south and west beyond PW and Loudoun counties and you already see those next counties looking like PW and Loudoun did 20 years ago. It is coming and it is unstoppable. Just have to deal with it.

Why do the people who want change get to determine who stays and who goes? Shouldn't the people who have lived here longer have more influence than the people who you want to welcome?

[Anonymous]

Check out Cleveland OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Bethesda and work in DC. I don't understand why we need ever greater density and more homes and more companies to come to the area. The congestion is terrible and the strain on schools and public services is annoying.

Personally, I would be happier if we stayed flat or, better yet, some people moved away!

+1

I'd be in favor of decreasing density. DC is already one of the most densely populated places in America.

Fewer condos, more parks!

DC has the highest percentage of parkland of any medium or large city in the US - we are blessed with parks of all sizes in DC. And one of reasons condos work in DC is because we have some fabulous parks for those folks to walk to and utilize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, if you don’t like this area’s growth then help contribute and move out of the area please. Smart growth means building infrastructure ahead of the anticipated growth. Other than that, growth is inevitable for an area like DC metro. Drive south and west beyond PW and Loudoun counties and you already see those next counties looking like PW and Loudoun did 20 years ago. It is coming and it is unstoppable. Just have to deal with it.

Why do the people who want change get to determine who stays and who goes? Shouldn't the people who have lived here longer have more influence than the people who you want to welcome?

Nope. We're equal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, if you don’t like this area’s growth then help contribute and move out of the area please. Smart growth means building infrastructure ahead of the anticipated growth. Other than that, growth is inevitable for an area like DC metro. Drive south and west beyond PW and Loudoun counties and you already see those next counties looking like PW and Loudoun did 20 years ago. It is coming and it is unstoppable. Just have to deal with it.

Why do the people who want change get to determine who stays and who goes? Shouldn't the people who have lived here longer have more influence than the people who you want to welcome?

Shouldn't the people who live on this planet now get theirs while the going is good, and who cares about the climate and environment they will leave for the next generations?

(Answer: No.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, if you don’t like this area’s growth then help contribute and move out of the area please. Smart growth means building infrastructure ahead of the anticipated growth. Other than that, growth is inevitable for an area like DC metro. Drive south and west beyond PW and Loudoun counties and you already see those next counties looking like PW and Loudoun did 20 years ago. It is coming and it is unstoppable. Just have to deal with it.

Why do the people who want change get to determine who stays and who goes? Shouldn't the people who have lived here longer have more influence than the people who you want to welcome?

I think you missed the point. It is inevitable, so deal with it or move, but don’t stay and complain. Just a suggestion, not a requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, if you don’t like this area’s growth then help contribute and move out of the area please. Smart growth means building infrastructure ahead of the anticipated growth. Other than that, growth is inevitable for an area like DC metro. Drive south and west beyond PW and Loudoun counties and you already see those next counties looking like PW and Loudoun did 20 years ago. It is coming and it is unstoppable. Just have to deal with it.

Why do the people who want change get to determine who stays and who goes? Shouldn't the people who have lived here longer have more influence than the people who you want to welcome?

LOL. No honey, that is not how life works. How old are you that this has to be explained to you??

[Anonymous]

A bunch of old people yelling at clouds in here.

Is the CSPAN segment this morning not exciting enough to flood the phone lines instead of whining about growth in the area?

[Anonymous]

Increasing density has become this fetish on the left. Apparently it solves everything. Someone should go to NYC and see how it’s working for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Increasing density has become this fetish on the left. Apparently it solves everything. Someone should go to NYC and see how it’s working for them.

Seriously.

This is all we hear about in MoCo. More density is the answer. Such BS.

Will housing costs really go down? Hasn't been the case in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Bethesda and work in DC. I don't understand why we need ever greater density and more homes and more companies to come to the area. The congestion is terrible and the strain on schools and public services is annoying.

Personally, I would be happier if we stayed flat or, better yet, some people moved away!

+1

I'd be in favor of decreasing density. DC is already one of the most densely populated places in America.

Fewer condos, more parks!

DC has the highest percentage of parkland of any medium or large city in the US - we are blessed with parks of all sizes in DC. And one of reasons condos work in DC is because we have some fabulous parks for those folks to walk to and utilize.

Mmmm I beg to differ.. I am from DC and while I think we are a 'green city" (tree canopy) I don't think the park situation is that great. We have lots of small, up to date playgrounds due to Fenty's investment in parks and rec--but in terms of larger parks for sport and recreation and gathering, not so much. For example, I don't think Rock Creek is on par with central park. It's just not usable in the same way. It's so wild it's more 'to look at' than utilize. As a woman, I would never go for a solo run there.