RE: Re[2]: [ihc]...property rights

[Tom Harais <THarais@xxxxxxxxx>]

Pete:

Being a "transportation planner" (I use that term loosely for many reasons)
for the last seven years in local public transit agencies, I often work with
urban planners from cities and counties.  Most are staff level but I have
direct access to, and have worked with, many of the top dogs; directors of
Community Development too.  My work also brings me into regular contact with
planning commissions and planners for private developers.

Most of these folks are articulate, intelligent, pleasant and usualy
interesting.  But, their utopian idealism and unshakeable faith in their
profession's as well as their own, view that they can shape a better world
for us all through "planning" scares the heck out of me.  And, none of them
seem to understand even the simple rudiments of economics or of human
behavior.  Case in point:  Planners get goo-goo eyed over "transit oriented
development" (concentrated, high rise residential and commercial buildings
clustered around mass transit hubs like train stations) and are sure that
TOD will solve all of our housing and transportation "problems" and "end
urban sprawl".  While people continue to demand and purchase 1/4 acre lots
with 2,500 sq ft, single family homes out here at the rate of 1,000 new
units per year even at prices from $500,000 to $900,000 per.  On top of
that, they buy these homes full well knowing that they will have to fight a
minimum 2 hour, and more likely 4 hour, daily commute to a job elsewhere.  I
don't see anyone lining up to buy a 900 sq ft condo next to the BART
station.  But, that observation is lost on utopian eyed planners. 

My real point, and I believe I've told you this off-line before, is that you
are unlike most any planner I have ever met.  Your mere mention of the
individual versus some utopian city/state collecive society alone shows me
that you just don't think like the folks that I know that populate city
halls all around here.  "The individual" to them is just someone that needs
to be dealt with (brought into line with the collective thought) because
they won't go along with their utopian demands.  I've even seen this extend
to the taking of private property, although in typical government double
speak, they deny that this is what they did because there was "just
compensation".

Congratulations on your open mind!

Tom H., '76 Traveler