While I was running back to my apartment, I passed an old guy on the sidewalk walking in the other direction. The second I passed him he unleashed the nastiest gas I think I’ve ever heard in public. I still can’t believe he actually farted at me.
A local study says that almost one third of young professional Williamsburg residents intend to leave within four years. Although those polled stated that they liked the area, the main complaint was that the cost of living was too high and average pay was too low. This area just isn’t geared towards younger people, especially those who are recent college graduates. Instead, Williamsburg is focused on retirees and tourists, and those that aren’t in those groups get gassed.
Why? Because those in the local government are mostly older or retired and own businesses that cater to tourists. And who elects them? A dominant contingent of older workers and retirees. Since the most of Williamsburg thinks that anyone under the age of 30 is a nuisance, the government reflects this position. The government and locals protest any affordable or student-oriented housing. An effort is made by the city to prevent homeowners from renting out their properties. The noise ordinances have been strengthened. And of course, there’s the arcane three person rule, which effectively limits housing options for young professionals with a low income. As a student or young professional, you either live elsewhere or live with four or more people illegally. You just hope city officials don’t sue you or randomly inspect your residence to see if more than three unrelated people are living together. The city council even wants to remove the 24 hour warning before inspectors show up at your residence. What happened to the fourth amendment?
Younger people come to live in Williamsburg in two ways. They either grew up here or graduated from William and Mary with a local job offer. I’m more of the second category: I don’t think anyone my age would willingly move to Williamsburg unless they had existing ties here. The environment is just too oppressive for most people my age, with plenty of animosity.
Anyone would think that a grassroots effort could be made to at least get more student friendly officials in local government. It’s hard to do that when the voter registrar blocks student voter applications. Recently, the registrar allowed students to register in Williamsburg, which allowed a student candidate to run for office, but enough AARP members went to the polls to ruin his day.
So here in Williamsburg, most people get what they want out of their government: preventing fewer students and younger professionals from living within the city limits.
A similar situation exists with another local government I am familiar with: Virginia Beach. An overwhelming majority of Virginia Beach residents hate cyclists. Though two deaths have occurred in the past two years, drivers are still bloodthirsty. Recent efforts by cyclists to lower the speed limit on some of the more well traveled cycling routes only serves to make the driving population more enraged (the comments on these articles are insane). The roads aren’t safe for cyclists in Virginia Beach because of high speed limits, it’s because of drivers’ attitudes. Most drivers in Virginia Beach think no cyclist has any business being on a road, and the position of the elected government reflects that. When a cyclist died after being hit from behind, the Commonwealth’s Attorney decided not to prosecute the driver. Furthermore, thanks to the city council, there are no bike lanes in Virginia Beach. A more cyclist-friendly government would promote the installation of bike lanes and provide a more friendly environment for cyclists. Unfortunately, since most residents see bike lanes and more cyclists as an infringement of their personal space, they elect officials that share the same position they do. As a result, we get the situation we have now, with animosity building on all sides.
We elect the government that we deserve on all levels, even at the state and federal level. State governments are running out of money and making huge cutbacks in an attempt to balance their budgets. California is so desperate as to hand out IOUs instead of tax refunds. Since the federal government sees the power to tax its citizens as an indefinite line of credit, there is no mandate to balance the budget and the federal deficit is spiraling out of control. People complain that essential government services are being cut while the federal government is incurring serious debt. However, these people are no different than the government they deride. With almost half of all Americans spending more than they make each year, many voters are in no position to complain: they elected a government that acts just like they do. If people were able to make better spending decisions on an individual level, I would imagine the government they elect would do the same.
Somehow, people expect elected officials to be held to a higher standard then those that elected them. However, those in office act the same way everyone else does, bringing along all the same weaknesses and quirks. Though nobody in Williamsburg runs for office with the position to evict students and young professionals, it happens as a matter of course since those that vote share that belief. Since most Virginia Beach residents are on a crusade against cyclists, elected officials end up adding fuel to the fire. While most Americans acknowledge they have poor spending habits and wish to improve and never do, those in our state and federal legislatures do the same thing. Don’t expect the government to save you from anything since your failures are the same as theirs.
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