First off. Excuse me for being blunt. It does not give me any joy to post this. I know I will draw much ire and criticism for this post but someone should finally say what many in the community believe but dare not say.
It's a crying shame to look at San Lorenzo and the East Bay in general and think of what it could have been like if only it's citizens had embraced the principles of the founders of the nation.
The principles of the sacredness of freedom, liberty, individualism, personal responsibility, private property rights, GOD, family, strictly limited and minimized government, and the rule of law over the rule of politics to assure all of the foregoing rights.
This area with it's fabulous weather, water, and, geography had the potential of being one of the best places on Earth to live and still does, however, at this point it would take an entire about face in attitudes to bring it about. I lament that I do not see that possibly happening in the foreseable future.
People complain about the downtown blight of San Lorenzo and do not understand that the reason it is the way it is is the same reason why the entire East Bay and the whole state for that matter is on the decline. It's just worse here because the cities of San Leandro and Hayward are obviously superior to Unincorporated Alameda County in regards to attracting and facilitating development and that says a lot being that California as a whole is an unattractive place to do business as seen by the mass exodus of businesses from California in recent years.
In my opinion, Alameda County has been a horrible place to do business, live, and raise a family. Failed social policies along with political corruption and/or incompetence for decades coupled with a basic misunderstanding of what America is and what has made America great has caused this area to deteriorate into the impoverished community it has become. The county electorate and our elected representatives have been exceedingly "politically correct" while at the same time being exceedingly "intellectually void." I have lost all hope for a turn around. They appear to be truly incorrigible.
In other words, as a result of the rejection of the principles on which this nation was founded in favor of the idea of better living through more government, more reliance on government to control our lives, and looking to governmet to provide for all our needs, what we are seeing is a downward death spiral for the county community and the state as a whole.
The county (and in fact this whole state with the current un-American leadership in Sacramento) is like a rudderless ship on a moonless night in the fog without navigation equipment. It doesn't know where it is, where it's been, or where it's heading.
Those of us who are productive members of this failed society will continue to leave and the exodus will accelerate as conditions deteriorate. While we are leaving, more and more people with their hands out will move here from elsewhere because the word has gotten out that "Alameda County is a great place to live if you are poor" as said to me by a gentleman who moved here from abroad recently.
The citizens have no one but themselves to blame for electing and reelecting the people at the helm. Furthermore, you can't keep slamming your head into the wall and believe the pain is caused by not slamming your head into the wall hard enough. Unless and until such time that you realize that slamming your head into the wall is the source of your pain, you can't learn from your mistakes and have ZERO hope of improving the community.
I sincerely hope and pray the people of this county and state abandon their past and current failed world view and adopt the world view of the founders of the greatest nation in the history of mankind.
—J
