Segregation of the rich and poor
We need to re-look at the way the American Dream is changing due to the Middle class eroding, and the separation of the 1% and 99%.
Whether you agree or not there is a new outlook in life that is becoming starker. Economic realities and strife have always been around. The Greeks and Romans were doing it to their citizen’s ages ago. Remember when the French got tired of it? They started cutting off people’s heads. The upper class did not come out of that as well as they would have hoped, did they? All economic classes need to have a sense of interdependence and appreciation for the entire community they live in. The separation weakens the long term viability of a given society. In America, our government center’s on Capitalism. Capitalism is the center of our economic and social structure. The lucky can get to the top. It takes hard work, great timing, connections, intelligence, patientence, a good location, and many more attributes that may or may not help you get there.
The problem is once you get there. Are you now different from the others? Are you now outside of the general public welfare issues? What is your responsibility to your community?
These are not easy questions. I believe in the longevity of a society. This keeps life’s choices more stable and you can make better long term plans. Most people like stability as long as they have respect and representation in our democracy.
So when you take a look at one specific rule of Inclusionary Housing you have to ask yourself “How does this affect the greater good?” “What is it telling all the different groups who live in our society?” ”Are we respecting each other?” The group that got to the top, the 1%, are still a part of the general public, but now they feel above the other groups and think they need to protect their way of life. Or they may have social anxieties and feel embarrassed by the aesthetics of hair, clothing, skin color, or language. This 1% can afford to put fences between them and the rest of their societal counterparts. Making their lives feel exclusive and safe from the real world around them.
When you decide to build a new building for home or work there are different program requirements involving entries and exists. There are different occupancy issues and certain services need to be separated from others. There could be a retail entrance to a mixed use building separate from the residential use. There should not be a separate entrance for the rich vs. everyone else. If you want your own entrance then maybe you need to have some space on the first floor like an office waiting room with its own elevator up to your own suite on another floor. You should not throw your wealth and power into everyone's face saying you are better or more exclusive then another. It takes away respect and farther separates the rich form the rest of the crowd. There are great opportunities for people to meet their neighbors in lobbies, building respect and offering new view points and opportunity for all. Segregation leads to a deteriorated society.
When I travel, I don’t waste my money buying expensive tickets for first class travel. I chose to travel with the general public. Meeting the society at large in lieu of someone who just wants to talk about how much they spend. I want the new experiences. I want to be a member of my society just like the military personal who work to uphold the rules and laws protecting and defending our nation. I believe looking to the health of a long term society is everyone's responsibility as an American. Short sighted gain at the expense of other citizens should be weighed heavily in your decisions and laws while you go out and accumulate your wealth. There needs to be a balanced approach to allow people to grow their net worth while sharing in the gains with a balanced approach. The way it is now the separation of class is expanding at the greatest rate in history.
This is not a safe place to be for our nation. It is not sustainable. Just look at the article about Outrage over Separate Doors for Rich and Poor in Manhattan High-Rise. There is a group of people who want to have a separate entrance to a high rise building with their own separate lobby. They do not want even a modest association with others. They would lose out on the opportunity to talk with someone outside of their class. Different floors are accessed by different elevators, so the ride up is already segregated. Would that same person want their own traffic lanes taking up public lands for private segregated uses? This issue is being approved in Orange County, California. You can buy a pass to drive on a special lane on a public highway, to avoid traffic congestion. What about those who can’t afford a $10.00 dollar pass, each way, to avoid traffic congestion? Their tax dollars paid for the land the highway was built on as well. Be fair to others! Do not create social stigmas. Do not emotionally slap your neighbor. Enrich the social fabric around you with all your choices.
For the continuity of our society and future generations, everyone needs to be "On the Bus" working together. The "well off" need to consider the general public in all their actions. Inclusiveness needs to be the key word. Fast gains in wealth need to be balanced for all societal members. The social fabric of our society needs to be fertile. Let’s keep watering all our neighbors’ souls. Let's not make any minority or majority social group feel excluded from pursuing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.