We’ve still got tulips hanging on here in Pella. Take a look:
We’ve got some older homes hanging on here, too. The Pella Historic Preservation Trust has done something new this year and put signs out in front of old homes to highlight their worth. Take a look.
Historic homes are frequently torn down here and have been for a while. Right across from these homes is an apartment building of mediocre style, resting on the ghosts of older homes long gone. For a town that prides itself on tradition, there isn’t much support for protective codes, although some are slowly being added for certain districts.
At recent Planning and Zoning meeting, the rezoning of residential properties to institutional to allow for the Pella Christian Grade School to expand a parking lot right up to a property line was passed with the fervent support of the city Planning and Zoning director. I’m disappointed because the property was zoned residential, the comprehensive plan stated the land was residential, and, importantly, some residents of the neighborhood were opposed. Not to mention, we need housing in town and the neighborhood in question allows for walkability to downtown. It’s also affordable and part of our history. It didn’t seem to make a difference.
This school is not the only one to tear down older homes. All our institutions have done it. One institution tore down a house and sold the land to a for profit dialysis center—making a profit from suffering. (You can read about it or listen to a podcast.) One school, which will not be named because it hasn’t ripped much down lately, even downed a home that belonged to the Gaass Family, decedents of the founders of Pella, for a parking lot.
The Planning and Zoning Director, who I have been told flies a big Trump flag on his property, told me this was the “free market.” I looked up that phrase and it is commonly used by political think tanks. From what I can gather “free market” means that the government needs to let business run roughshod over the rest of the citizens.
People may agree or disagree with me on the zoning change. But there’s trouble in paradise, or Pelladise as we like to say, when the city becomes overtaken by free market types. The “free market” isn’t safe for your average citizen. It’s associated with things like lack of public goods and services. It leads to inequality. Have you noticed that equality is suddenly a dirty word? Wealth trickles up in a free market economy. The oligarchs don’t want the equality that is inherent in a true democracy. Why would they want anyone to even mention it?
The free market lends itself to monopolies, lack of safety, misinformation, and higher prices. It even can be seen as a fountain of bad health. That’s the ugly downside of it. Free market policies were very bad at preventing the spread of COVID. A well-organized government with public good in mind is best equipped to solve big problems such as a pandemic, mountains of plastic trash, or even gun violence. But the Free Marketers don’t want to government to solve any problems! They have stuck with this to the point that in some cases, they’ve gotten attacked by bears. In my mind, the free market is immoral. And stupid.
As bad weather stormed around me this week-end, I was glad there is a National Weather Service, a public entity, with free services. Public services are to do just that, support the public. One example is the pretty tulips planted by Pella public services. They enhance business, I’m sure. I don’t have a business but I enjoy them and as long as the local businesses don’t turn against homeowners, I’m happy to support the planting and the many other initiatives that make our town a nice place to live.
I’m thankful at least some older homes, and tulips, are hanging on. Nobody visits a tourist town to look at an “ugly and stupid” free market economy. They look at a cute town with unity and pride of history. And tulips.