I agree.
Francoise
Subject: Re: [lpsf-activists] Prop K - Affordable Housing
From: “Starchild sfdreamer@earthlink.net [lpsf-activists]”
<lpsf-activists@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thu, August 14, 2014 6:56 am
To: lpsf-activists@yahoogroups.comDo we really want to blame tax breaks to high tech companies for the lack of housing and then say taxes should have been lower for ALL businesses? Logically, if tax breaks for high tech companies made it more desirable to live here and thus contributed to the housing crunch, lower taxes for ALL companies would’ve made it even MORE desirable to live here, making the housing crunch even worse!
I think we’re painting a big target on ourselves if we make that argument. Besides, it’s unfair to tech companies – lack of affordable housing in this town is a problem that has been many years in the making and long preceded the current tech boom.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))Much more clear now to me.
Marcy
Hi Marcy. Thanks–I was not entirely happy with that sentence but wanted to make a point about Libertarians wanting lower taxes overall for all businesses and not special tax breaks for certain players in the game. I have revised my argument slightly by dropping it in the last main paragraph and adding a clause in the first paragraph. I italicized the change. Improves word count so I can add SFLCC!
The current lack of affordable housing was caused by overly restrictive zoning and bureaucrats granting special tax breaks to high tech companies (rather than lower taxes for all businesses) to lure them to The City. Now the bureaucrats are at it again trying to fix the problem they created by proposing more involvement in housing. They want to create a Neighborhood Stabilization Trust, which sounds great, but in fact it’s a plan for The City to purchase small and large buildings to make housing “affordable.”
Just one look at the SF Housing Authority will give you an idea of what “affordable” housing will look like with The City as your landlord: broken and deteriorating buildings, rampant crime and violence, vacant units even though waiting lists are long, a lack of accountability, and a history of corruption.
Where will the money come from to subsidize those who cannot afford market rate housing? One clue is mentioned in the text of Prop K: “Special Use Districts,” which is another way of saying unelected bureaucrats raising taxes without a vote of the citizens. If the money doesn’t come from increased taxes (or they might call them fees), then it will have to come from reduced basic government services like police, fire protection, and road maintenance. It has to come from somewhere.
If city officials really want to help make housing more affordable, they should consider staying out of the housing market completely. Loosening up on zoning regulations will also go a long way towards increasing the supply of housing. Let individuals, and associations of individuals, not bureaucrats, decide how much development they want in their neighborhoods through deed restrictions and covenants.
Vote NO on K. It’s a promise the bureaucrats cannot fulfil.
Libertarian Party of San Francisco
San Francisco Libertarian Campaign Committee
Thanks for your careful reading!
AubreyHi Aubrey,
Good points. I got confused about the last part when you say, “If city officials really want to help make housing more affordable, they should consider staying out of the housing market completely and granting tax breaks to all businesses, not just large ones.” I can’t tell if you want give tax breaks or not. Maybe just leave the part about the granting tax break out to save you time? But, if others can understand, then leave it in.
Marcy
To: lpsf-activists@yahoogroups.com
From: lpsf-activists@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 22:34:43 -0700
Subject: [lpsf-activists] Prop K - Affordable Housing [1 Attachment][Attachment(s) from Aubrey Freedman included below]
Hi All. Here’s my argument against K, a declaration of policy that The City will try to have 1/3 of its housing be “affordable.” Word count also came in at 298, so no room at present to add SF Libertarian Campaign Committee. I don’t think I changed anything from what I brought to Saturday’s meeting, but my paper got lost in the mountains of paperwork I brought on Saturday, so not sure if my argument was looked at. Please review.The current lack of affordable housing was caused by overly restrictive zoning and bureaucrats granting special tax breaks to high tech companies to lure them to The City. Now the bureaucrats are at it again trying to fix the problem they created by proposing more involvement in housing. They want to create a Neighborhood Stabilization Trust, which sounds great, but in fact it’s a plan for The City to purchase small and large buildings to make housing “affordable.”
Just one look at the SF Housing Authority will give you an idea of what “affordable” housing will look like with The City as your landlord: broken and deteriorating buildings, rampant crime and violence, vacant units even though waiting lists are long, a lack of accountability, and a history of corruption.
Where will the money come from to subsidize those who cannot afford market rate housing? One clue is mentioned in the text of Prop K: “Special Use Districts,” which is another way of saying unelected bureaucrats raising taxes without a vote of the citizens. If the money doesn’t come from increased taxes (or they might call them fees), then it will have to come from reduced basic government services like police, fire protection, and road maintenance. It has to come from somewhere.
If city officials really want to help make housing more affordable, they should consider staying out of the housing market completely and granting tax breaks to all businesses, not just large ones. Loosening up on zoning regulations will also go a long way towards increasing the supply of housing. Let individuals, and associations of individuals, not bureaucrats, decide how much development they want in their neighborhoods through deed restrictions and covenants.
Vote NO on K. It’s a promise the bureaucrats cannot fulfil.
Libertarian Party of San FranciscoThanks!
Aubrey
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Posted by: francoise@thefieldingcompanies.com
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