Comment by gregw2
Agreed. And local NIMBY can get surprisingly personal and politically vicious fast.
I have a friend who argued in public forums (local newspapers+blogs) for denser housing being more walkable and sustainable (in a wealthy small neighborhood we both lived in.) "Small towns" was/is the nationwide name for the trend.
Unknown opponents dug up and published dirt on him that even his wife, friends and employer didn't know. It was quite sobering.
And so they keep blocking efforts by resorting to smear tactics. Own it and reverse it back on them. Debate class 101, they have nothing if they attack you personally.
It sucks that your friend had his closet ransacked for skeletons. This is why I’m completely honest with mine.