- Influx of troublesome residents who have transferred here from Chicago, Rockford and other cities with problem areas and we have inherited their upstarts.
- Residents of public housing who utilize the generous system of state aid that our state cannot afford but still manages to provide.
- Said residents are not gainfully employed (due to generous state aid) and party all night as they do not have to work in the morning as many of their sleeplessly tired neighbors do.
- Unsupervised youth who run the streets in large groups and do not seem to be able to communicate within normal vocal decibels as they most likely have lost their hearing due to the booming vibration of the music they listen to and the rest of the neighborhood must listen to as well, whether we want to or not.
- Youth and adults alike of problematic residences scream, yell, utter profanities, threaten anyone brave enough to ask them to please lower the volume of all of the above.
- Landlords who own these buildings could care less if anyone close by is inconvenienced as long as they receive rent money and continue to rent to the very people who are creating havoc for anyone within a two block radius.
For those of you who may be thinking, "Why did you move there?" Because despite an unheeded warning that living in this neighborhood might be a problem, my apartment is very nice and spacious and the nicest place I looked at for the money. Uh, the warning bells should have gone off on that one. I am now moving to a wonderful house in a quiet neighborhood and one might say "If you're leaving, what's the big deal?" Well, I have never been one to just worry about myself. There are good people who live here and they do not want to be forced out because they were here before the bad elements came to town.
The police are on most people's speed dial in this area and it is getting old for law enforcement and residents alike. Due to financial cuts (thanks Scott!) Police officers are limited in this area and even if they do come, the problems still continue to occur. I do not believe in vigilante tactics at the hands of angry citizens but we need to get a handle on the neighborhood and let our city officials and support agencies know that we want a solution. Here are a few suggestions from yours truly.
- Bye bye state aid for those who can work. I have compassion for single mothers but when you have three plus children, spend less time in the sack and more time gainfully employed. This needs to begin with Section 8 monitoring and control.
- Parents who continually fail to supervise their children should be fined for multiple disturbances.
- If you can't afford to work and pay your bills, you can't afford drugs or alcohol.
- If landlords want troublesome tenants and do not keep their disturbances under control, let them pay a fine or two and I guarantee you will see these tenants get sent packing.
- Don't expect law enforcement to do everything. Citizens have rights, contact those who can go above and beyond and remind them who votes them into office and whom they represent.
I have said my peace and vented my frustrations but the fact is that the problem still exists and everyone deserves to live in a community where they feel safe and feel like their home is a haven from this crazy world we sometimes live in. It is a sad commentary that there are those who haven't a clue that anyone exists besides them. It is also a fact that most of these people come from generation after generation of like mentality but it has got to stop for the sake of the sanity of the many good people who deserve to live in a neighborhood they can be proud to call home.
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