Throughout history people have defined prosperity for their city. Some people believe that growth equals prosperity. Some do not.

“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” — Edward Abbey

I define unsustainable growth in a city as growth that benefits only a few. Or only specific industries. For example, in Bend, many local businesses cannot afford qualified employee candidates.

While affordable housing has become a popular Band-Aid to provide to some what can be called workforce housing, it is in no one’s mind a solution.

To find the solution is to first identify the mechanisms that create the growth. Industries that prosper for these have no motive to stop or slow, or even to make sustainable this growth.

Realtors provide a valuable service but in my opinion should not take the lead in our community planning. Real estate agents are salespeople. Nothing wrong with that. I am sales, people.

The costs of growth to the city as a whole first comes to all of us. The benefits of growth immediately are great for some, trickles down for others, and some just get trickled on.

Our infrastructure and many of our city services are free to the immediate visitor. The most well-intentioned drive on our streets every day without paying a penny. The cost of false alarms and abuse of police services are also diminishing our ability to budget our tax dollars wisely.

Our council has not inspired confidence. Some of them told us that we needed more money for our streets but then squandered thousands of dollars on an unneeded special election. Silly rabbits.

Too many of us believed the claim by others that we don’t need the $80 million fix. They told us over and over that the money was there. Seven months later we all know that this was not true, and is still not true.

In that time, Councilor Victor Chudowsky and candidate Justin Livingston have failed to “show us the money.” I believe that they owe us an apology, and a solid plan.

So what is the solution? First, we must stop the denial.

Second, elect leadership not in denial. Stop pretending that the issue has not only not been solved but needs to be at the top of the agenda in January when our new council convenes.

The fact is that our streets are deteriorating, which is very expensive. The money raised recently to fill our potholes came mostly from new monies about-to-be-spent. The truth of the matter is that Bend is limited to a property tax base of $2.60 per $1,000 assessed value. All other larger cities in Oregon have budgets double and triple ours.

We must pay for the streets we want.

These corporate thinkers will not lead with the human concerns of all our neighbors. They will always serve their profit margin and their sales goals before the well-being of their neighbors.

They will try to sell you on the idea that greed is good, and that growth will pay for everything we desire.

When growth peaks in a few years, the profit-takers will move on to their next opportunity. Those of us who will stay in Bend will have to figure out how to pay to maintain twice as many city streets.

I define insanity as voting over and over the same way and expecting a different result.

Let’s make the obvious choice to elect those who work for real people, not those who work for real estate.

— Ron Boozell is a candidate for Bend City Council.