03.17.08
Your Community Needs Your Help
I was talking with a friend about some of the problems in the local community. We talked about the job situation, about the transportation situation, and about the cost of living here, versus somewhere closer to Los Angeles.
Afterwards, I was thinking that one reason that communities like ours are in the condition they are is because we are not willing to get involved in doing things to make the place better. I want people who live here to be fully able to live and work in the same general area, without long commutes into Los Angeles and Orange counties. I want this area to have loads of affordable owner-occupied housing.
Even more, I want people who live here to feel that they count, that they are part of a community and commonality of purpose with others who live here. I want big retail companies from outside the area to see our residents continuing to support SLOBs, and big manufacturing companies to bring their plants back from overseas outsourcing centers for the quality workforce.
So how do I propose to make all that happen? I can’t make it happen, but I can help it happen by getting involved. Do you know that a few interested locals can cause the city council to do the right thing for their citizens? Did you know that a few local volunteers can help the city keep the streets free from trash, serve as extra eyes for the police department, or even help local non-profits keep youth out of trouble? Why wait for “meals on wheels” to bring food to your elderly neighbors? Make a practice of going by daily to check on them and to make sure they have what they need—perhaps even calling their children to come and check on any questionable financial deals they may get involved in.
