During class on Thursday, Mr. O'Connor commented on the Winnetka Home Owner's Association (WHOA). It is exactly what it sounds like - a group of Winnetka homeowners who talk and make decisions about various topics relating to real estate in Winnetka. Recently, the have come under fire for pushing back against the proposition to allow people who make $45,000 to rent apartments in Winnetka.
As we all know, Winnetka is a very wealthy city, as is the whole North Shore. But what is interesting is that the WHOA does not want people who make less than them to live in the same city as they do. It seems like a basic right that anyone, no matter which socio-economic class, should be allowed to live anywhere they please, as long as they follow the rules (i.e paying for the house, paying taxes). Why are they refusing to allow this to occur, you may ask? It seems quite ironic to me.
The WHOA says that allowing this to happen would be "un-American". Sense the irony now? The WHOA claims it as such because it could raise taxes or potentially increase crime. In my opinion, raising taxes is not un-American - it is a responsibility that all Americans should accept. I also certainly do not think that allowing some lower-income families into Winnetka would increase crime by any means. It seems clear that the reason they do not want lower-income families to move to Winnetka is to keep the city a wealthy city and to sustain its $200,000 average income.
What seems more un-American is not allowing Americans a basic right to buy a home or live in a city they wish to.
My question is simple: what is more un-American - denying the right to buy a home, or living in a city where you are not as wealthy as the majority?
AJ, Impressive blog total this quarter and an equally impressive breadth of topics. This post is good in that it extends a class discussion with an irony you note about American values. I like the voice that begins to emerge here. You sound passionate about the equity issue. I also like the link to the WHOA site. You could, however, take the issue even farther by analyzing the language they use and perhaps by also briefly citing the opposing group, WIN. Last, I'm not sure about the "simple" final question. Do you mean "trying to live in a city..."? (They don't, currently, right? Overall, though good work!
ReplyDeleteHey AJ,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Daniel Nissani, and I am a Northwestern student who is in Mr. O'Connor's course. We were reviewing blogs today, and he showed yours as an example. I run a student organization on campus that actually develops a low-income community on campus and try to obtain basic necessities in order for low-income students to participate in campus activities. We are also looking to go into communities and help out. Thank you so much for this blog post, and I hope we can help with this before WHOA takes over (hopefully, they never will).
Thanks,
Daniel Nissani
Thanks for commenting on my blog Daniel! Your organization sounds very interesting and helpful - it's great that there are organizations like yours that acknowledge and help those who aren't always helped by others.
ReplyDelete