Rent Control

Soooo - Erin and I started talking about rent control last night because her dad brought it up to her and wondered her opinions. I realize that I don't know everything about the issue - I know there are pros and cons and that there are people who would benefit and people who would not benefit from laws/policies around it. I realize there are opinions across the board and consequences attached. Yep, I get that.

The thing is, I hate politics because often times, times when we talk about issues like rent control, politics forget about people. PEOPLE, you know those things that have hearts and minds and souls and families and stuff?

When Amazon is done with its crazy hiring frenzy in Seattle it is estimated that it will have hired close to 60,000 people making on average $120,000. That is music to landlord/developers ears. But what about people who work as janitors? Security guards? People that take care of the elderly? What about the food and beverage industry? Or anyone who makes less than $40,000 yr (which is a huge percentage)? Where are they supposed to live? Okay, they need to move out of Seattle and commute in - Sure! Problem is, we have horrible public transportation and bus routes are getting wiped out all the time. I talked to a guy the other day that has to transfer 3 times every day, each way to get to and from work- totaling a SEVEN HOUR commute EVERYDAY for a $12.00/hr job. Oh, and the guy is a college grad, married and has a baby on the way.

It's messed up. So yeah, I care about rent control. That guy can't survive living in Seattle. He can hardly survive living outside of Seattle. And he isn't able to hang out with his wife and he won't be able to spend time with his baby.

Sure, there are people who might not like rent control and there are some that might lose some money but I don't really care. I care about families being together. I care about the time it takes people to get to and from work. I mean, okay, make it totally impossible for low wage workers to live in Seattle but at least invest in reasonable transportation so it doesn't take them SEVEN hours a day to get to and from work (to go less than 20 miles). C'mon. Don't try and debate with me that our city shouldn't do something to help that guy (and all the people in his situation)!

(Back to this) My mom is dying and the one thing she tells me she regrets is not being 'there' for her kids while growing up. She missed most of my basketball games and other activities while I was growing up. And honestly, I used to be mad a her for not being there. Then I woke up one day and realized that the only reason I was wherever I was was because she wasn't there. She was working day and night to provide for my family. I never went without anything and got to 'be there' because she wasn't there.

So because of that, because of the amazing woman my mom is and the lessons she has taught and the things she has had to endure, I have dedicated most of my adult life to helping people be 'there' - wherever 'there' is. 'There' is different for everyone. It could be with family, in the mountains, holding a pen and putting it to paper - shit, it could be in front of a TV getting lost in a show. I don't care where 'there' is for people - but I want everyone to be able to be there. Doing things that help them get connected to their hearts is so incredibly important and I want to help more people do it! Having a job that provides the basics with healthcare is the start.

Our country is big enough and good enough and wealthy enough and full of enough good people to allow people to be there!

So rent control, YES! Because it will allow more people to be where they want to be. With their families, with their friends, in the mountains - or wherever their place is that makes them feel alive.