Nimbyism Runs Rampant

There was a woman outside the grocery store today, collecting signatures to "Kill Library Cuts," whom I ignored on my way into the store.

San Diego has a pending $179 million shortfall in its $736 million budget for the coming fiscal year, so the mayor has proposed a series of cuts across the board; including fire and police departments, parks and recreation, city services... No one is spared, so that no one has to be cut more deeply that is utterly necessary. Included is reducing hours that libraries will be open by about 10% or so.

On my way out of the store this woman tried to buttonhole me to sign her petition so I said that maybe she'd prefer to make cuts in fire and police. Her reply was a snide, "No, I'd like them to eliminate that $158 million City Hall they want," and I just lost it.

I told her in as even a tone as I could manage that she was a typical NIMBY idiot and that she didn't know what she was talking about; that the new city hall was a capital expense and had nothing whatever to do with the city's operating budget, and that she apparently thought that everyone should tighten their belts except her. "People like you," I finished, "are just sick."

Okay, maybe I overdid it a little bit, but...