Sprawling Rant

Ah, Progress! Growth!
All I know is that it makes my town look like this:


Instead of leaving it well alone, so it looks like this:
(Note the blurriness of this - it is a true drive-by shooting)
This house had a fantastically huge yard and a grove of oaks nearby, until the road had to be widened to accomodate the multitudes who have swarmed here recently. Somehow, it doesn't seem like a good or fair trade, but then, Im not the Fat-Cat developer who made millions off raping the land, so what do I know?

It still hasn't occurred to the city and town managers that all this growth is a BIG part of why we have no drinking water left, after January. I'm sure Fortune Magazine, who periodically reports Raleigh as a super place to live and work, neglects to mention all the problems growth has caused - congested highways that are sub-par, overcrowded schools, and diminishing resources. It does make it hard to sell the many million dollar homes in the area, when the prospective buyers learn that they can't fill their pools or jacuzzis; or water their brand-new sod yards. Over half of all the homes bought in Wake County last year were foreclosed this year, and they are still building more.

Why does it make me crazy? Why doesn't it make other people crazy? I don't know - I guess they don't love trees and open spaces as much as I do. I guess a strip-mall on every corner is more important than woods, parks, clean air and fresh water to them. Me? I want to find a million dollar internet business so I can get the hell out of here, before they issue Still Suits, like in Dune.