Nothing wrong with some goodwill, Rocklin

Chill out, Rocklin! Check your NIMBYism for a moment, and think like a human being.

I understand where you are coming from. You worked hard to get to this place. Living in Rocklin may be truly more of a privilege, and not a right. Let's park our egos for a moment and consider the situation. What if we were the market that this development is meant for - the under $35k set? 

Would it not be nice to receive some help? Would you decline that kind of opportunity if it were given to you?

You climbed a ladder. It took huge amounts of hardship and effort on your part. Think of this as the ladder that keeps on rising. For a moment, can you envision that perhaps, the more people you extend this ladder of opportunity to, that the possibility becomes very real we all get elevated together? You try to take care of your fellow human beings -- even if that meant giving up some of your comfort. How much better could Rocklin, and eventually the world get? Put another way, you elevate others, you get elevated further. Aren't we all being a little bit selfish, and I'm afraid to say very short-sighted here?

So you are concerned about your home values. You are concerned about your streets. Your perfectly rated schools. Last time I checked, we're not exactly a closed community. Meaning: you cannot keep Rocklin as a sterile environment. If people need access to housing, that is a collective responsibility we should address.

What would we rather do? Turn our cheeks the other way? Go to church and pray all you want. Are you trying to be literal when you say "Blessed be the poor, for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven"? Are we being hypocrites? Hoping this problem will go away; that perhaps the next city over can worry about this instead?

What is our main value? Selfishness? If we afforded to spread the graces we've been given even just a little bit, would it kill us?

Do not get me wrong. I am one of those Bay Area transplants too. I am proud to say I might have the advantage of being more open-minded, having lived in many other cities (including internationally) prior to coming here. I very much appreciate the comfort of living here. I appreciate the lack of riff raff. I appreciate not having to take BART - that cesspool of degenerates. But I am very grateful to have perspective.

One worry I had was that we are living in a bubble that might make my children a sheltered as I'm raising them. For that, I am intent on exposing them to how the other half of the world lives. I have seen it for myself, in grade school. Trust me when I tell you, YOU ALL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE. After school with a church group, I went to visit a family living on way less than $1/day. The dad was trying his hardest to keep a job. They had a baby. The mom was trying to breastfeed in their dilapidated cottage, while peeling a small squash. I clearly remember the mold that had taken over almost half of it. That was going to be their dinner.

Sure they lacked education. Their life was pre-determined by their predecessors to a large extent. Is it on them to change their living condition? As much as they possibly can, yes. However, there is nothing wrong with extending help to people in need, is there?

I was hoping we could do better than all of these complaints. Very valid concerns, yes. But what do you really want to do about it? Not your problem? Is that what we've come to?

What if we put our money where our mouths are? Here's an idea: publicly-invested affordable housing programs. Perhaps it's more remedial. The message to its potential tenants: Here's some help, which is an investment in my part to you, and in effect, to the greater community. Here's what I need from you however: I need you to keep paying it forward. Best of all, you get to vote on how it is being run.

You want change? You have the all ability to make it a positive change. If you care to contribute at all. Or do you want to keep believing Rocklin should be an artificial, sterile environment? I know this is extreme, but just so you know, that's what dictatorships around the world like to believe about themselves.