We the People
The only people that can save our single-family homes are we the people.
By doing that we save our neighborhoods and by extension our larger communities.
Our Homes are Special
My house is as special to me as yours is to you. My house holds memories that I cherish daily, but never take for granted.
The street it faces out on has changed through the years, but it is as familiar to me today as the first day I saw it many years ago. It fits snugly into a neighborhood that will soon celebrate its 100th anniversary. The neighborhood has seen many changes and I have worked to be a part of those changes. I don’t feel that I am special, and I am willing to bet that there are millions of you across California that feel the same way I do about your house and neighborhood.
No one from the State Legislature has visited me in my home, ever. They have no idea what condition my neighborhood is in. Do they know when the water or sewer pipes were installed? Do they have any idea how old the transformers are or how the wind or rain interacts with the electric power grid? Do they know or care about the effort we have put in to make the neighborhood safe and viable? The answer is a resounding no and I am sure your experience is similar to mine. And yet they are arrogant enough to believe they can make decisions about the neighborhoods we live in!
Please register your thoughts on all the bills that will destroy single-family neighborhoods and let them know you are in for the long hall. That means that no matter how long it takes. That means we will work to find and fund good candidates to run against anyone who votes to take away the American Dream of home ownership. The last time Californian’s were losing their single-family homes they united, and Proposition 13 came into being. That was a gargantuan struggle, and this will be the same thing.
What the state is proposing is reckless and possibly criminal. They put Public Safety at risk by not providing needed infrastructure upgrades for the housing they require. That imperils all of us as water, sewer, power lines and other critical infrastructure in many cities are at the end of their life cycle. As a result, in many cities only emergency work is being done, not routine maintenance. Most but not all politicians are no help to us. They are too busy raising money to get reelected to pay attention to the people they supposedly represent. There are a few that are trying to help us, and we will strive to bring you news about them and their efforts going forward. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates and join us in this worthwhile effort to save our single-family homes and neighborhoods.