If you really want to grow your City, disconnect it from Wall Street

There are many residents who would love to see their city grow and become a more productive and rewarding place to live.  Some used to even advertise how great their city or state was on their license plates but this seems not to be the case anymore whether it is a lack of vision by those in leadership or the unwillingness to try something new since change seems to frighten so many.  Now it should be as plain as the nose on our faces that with each passing day, things change and if we are to ever stay atop what is happening around us at any given time, we too must be willing to change.  We are all quite aware that doing the same thing the exact same way expecting change is the real true definition of insanity and if we are willing to accept that premises then why are we surprised what is accepted as normal these days?

Back in the day, homeownership was proof of valid income, a six hundred credit score and a willingness to clean up anything that made loan approval boards nervous about a loan application.  Now it is more about those on that board applying their own system of who is worthy and who is not.  Now it’s about leaving the determining factors of loans to those who specialize in creating mathematical systems that even they sometimes have a hard time explaining.  Back in the day, cities grew by increasing their tax base simply by making more of their resident’s homeowners.  The taxes collected could be spread equally among them and the more homeowners they had the less each had to pay.  These taxes were used to pay for city services and very little were ever required from state or federal sources so that city could become self-sufficient and set the example for all other cities.

Since we know that no one currently has the backbone to question Wall Street, there is another way to make this dream of a truly independent city a reality.  To give a resident ownership of a home means that now that resident is invested and due to that, much more involved in how their city is ran, changes that proposed and the commitment to its growth.  While many who would love nothing better than to establish roots in a community, the requirements by those who follow Wall Street are unobtainable so they now seek the Rent-To-Own avenue.  Most of these residents do not have the last name of Rockefeller or Trump so the funds required by many are well outside of their grasp.  Now it is factual that many cities have programs to help with down payment and closing costs but these are for those who already meet the requirements of Wall Street the majority of which already have been established. 

Grow your city by disconnecting it from Wall Street by establishing a program just like this for those who do not meet Wall Street standards.  I will never be able to understand how any business can claim to be in business when it refuses to open itself up to the majority of any community.  You have ten percent of a community that is already established or already meet Wall Street standards and instead of looking to include the remaining ninety percent, you continue to just cater to that ten thinking change will happen and you wonder why your city does not grow or people call you insane.