In your article “No to NIMBY,” the Gazette (Feb. 18) is risking its credibility. Every responsible journalist knows that when quoting any slang word or acronym used to label a group, culture or race, they should place the word in quotation marks and clearly dissociate themselves from the word.
So why is it OK for the Gazette to insult thousands of innocent citizens with the NIMBY word? There was a weak excuse given in your article that the word is often used as a “pejorative.” Don't kid yourselves. People don't call their friends NIMBYs. The acronym NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) was invented by developers and their cronies in local government to shame residents and homeowners who want to protect their property rights. Since there's no good argument for trampling on their rights, they were put into a box, labelled and then shamed by questioning their motives and beliefs. There is always some resident who will say something stupid or hateful when put under a magnifying glass, but most of the neighbourhood is composed of decent, caring people. They include volunteers, and many support community organizations and charities. This detailed scrutiny of their character has to stop.
The other list of excuses for high density infill, driven by the Edmonton Development Board and the City of Edmonton, are phony or just wrong. We are told that we must stop deadly global warming, encourage diversity and inclusion, stop using up farmland and lower energy costs by moving into apartment buildings. But global temperatures have stalled for 20 years, even though man-made CO2 has increased all that time. The theory is wrong but government just hasn't learned it yet. In Braeside, for example, we have over 15 different cultures and racial groups living in the neighbourhood. We are doing just fine and don't need to be lectured about diversity. As for preserving farmland, good argument, but developers don't care to build on land set aside for development on the outskirts if they can flip large lots right on the river for big bucks. But trees have to come down. What happened to the city's promise to preserve natural areas? As far as energy use, new technology and improved Canadian building codes for insulation have already cut household energy consumption drastically. When the government dictates what type of housing we must live in, we will know that 1984 wasn't just science fiction.
Let's be honest about this. This issue is really about private property rights and the right to the quiet enjoyment of your neighbourhood as it existed when you moved into it. City councils used to understand this and respect the voters who elected them. Residents shouldn't have to prove that they are saintly and caring. Just for once, let's turn the telescope around and examine the developers for any 'milk of human kindness'. They often take their money and run.
In the last U.S. election campaign, one of the candidates, Dr. Ben Carson said: “Intelligent people tend to talk about facts. They don't sit around and call each other names. That's what you can find on a third grade playground. To sit around and act like third graders is not productive."
W.G. Whitney, St. Albert
