The Good old days.
Us
older folks can remember a time when small communities actually placed a
welcome mat out for strangers to come and be a part of the community. Moreover, a brand new three bedroom,
two bath (1,085 sq. ft.) house with a two car garage could be purchased for
$16,000 or less. There were many
two lane roads in those days, but traffic was "tolerable," as the saying goes.
Times
have changed and the welcome mat has been replaced with a "keep out" attitude -
not just in Monterey County but in nearly every community throughout our state.
More
people means more traffic, more use of vital resources like water and then
there is the pollution of the air we all breathe and the increase in garbage on
our beaches and along our public roads.
Now
we (as a community) have put up barriers to prevent population growth. There are endless requirements to be
overcome by prospective builders like environmental impact reports justifying
water use, air quality, additional traffic solutions, protection of unknown
animal species "ad infinitum."
And
if a project somehow gets past all this, there are impact fees, architectural
reviews, permit fees and then, of course, the ultimate confrontation with
planning commissions and city councils or county board of supervisors. But none of this covers the potential
litigation put forth by the "smart growth" or "no growth" contingent.
If
there was some way to do it, most small communities would pass local city
ordinances prohibiting population growth and posting no trespassing signs. The problem is that this
anti-population "thing" is not shared by everyone in the State. Large manufacturing interests are
opposed to any option limiting population growth. Population growth means more production and more sales. It also means more jobs and increased
spending which benefits the entire community.
Apparently,
State politicians favor population growth. California Code section 65580-65589.8, passed in 1969
mandates that local governments must plan to meet existing and projected
housing needs for all economic segments of the community. According to data provided by
California's Department of Finance, Monterey County is expected to have a
population increase of more than 150,000 between 2010 and 2060 - or an average
of a modest 3,000 residents per year.
Riverside
County is projected to have the largest growth during the same period of
approximately 2 million making it the second most populated county in the state
at 4.2 million - trailing only Los Angeles at 11.6 million.
Even
so, it would appear those folks who favor a "keep out" policy in Monterey
County have succeeded when compared to other counties in the state.
The population dilemma.
Obviously,
the economic impact versus environmental consequences of population growth is
the greatest dilemma of the modern era.
On the one hand big business desires cheap labor and might even admit
"off the record" that an illegal work force is cheap and desirable because they
cannot complain to anyone for fear of deportation.
On
the other hand, slave labor is repugnant to American moral standards not to
mention that it has been outlawed since the civil war. Even so, it is difficult to
accept the increased traffic, reduced air quality, deteriorating water supply
and the thoughtless scattering of garbage along our roads and beaches which
accompany the ever increasing population growth or what is often termed "the
thundering herd."
The
2010 census revealed the birth rate of American citizens has declined in recent
years; hence, the major source of increased population is legal and illegal
immigration.
After
viewing census figures and various racial & ethnic tabulations, broken down
in percentages of total population, it might lead one to conclude that the
population crisis in this country is primarily caused by failure to patrol our
borders or enforce our immigration laws.
On
the other hand, finger pointing and fault finding doesn't begin to address the
real problem. There is little
doubt that increased population, everywhere in the world, is resulting in huge
demands on natural resources, food and water - not to mention the unpredictable
human behavior that accompanies increased population growth.
Limiting
population growth in Monterey County does not solve a state-wide problem, nor
projected problems within the United States or the world for that matter. Does it make sense to provide food to
starving populations in third world countries without also making some effort
to limit population in accordance to available food and water?
Sadly,
local limits in accordance to "smart development;" the related impact fees,
license, permits and other development costs may slow down population growth,
but the real solution involves mutual consent by world leaders. Population control is everyone's
problem!