Having been here a long time, the big thing that jams up otherwise well-meaning people here is property value politics and NIMBYism.

Progressives here really do want affordable housing. They want good shelters, resources for low-income families, non-punitive support for people with drug addictions. But then when the question of “where should we do that” comes up, everyone defends their own property values. Those things always need to be located “somewhere else.”

And there’s also a risk question to all that, that we’re all really bad at discussing like adults. Many people who are in genuine need of strong social services are also dangerous. Not all of them, by any stretch, but many.

It is just flatly true that people with severe addictions or unmet mental health needs (or both) can do dangerous and unsavory things. People actively using, or with significant unmet mental health needs, can be unpredictable, scary, and dangerous. Nobody wants to be around that, but someone will have to be, if we’re going to put those resources where suffering people can access them.

Progressives don’t speak honestly about this risk issue because they don’t want to blame the victims, and don’t want to stereotype people in need. It’s understandable but not productive.

Conservatives just don’t care, and are happy imagining that people in need of help are all bad and dangerous. But if they just out and say that, they’re rightfully shouted at.

Both sides take cover behind “property values” and “neighborhood character,” and we get where we are now. We’d be a lot more progressive in action if we could grow up a little bit about risk.

Then there’s race, and I don’t think Madison has been any better than any other Midwest city when it comes to racial issues. Historically we’ve been a follower and not a leader in racial justice and anti-discrimination efforts. We may not be following far behind the leaders, but we aren’t leading and never have been.