Mayor calls housing plan 'communist'

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | 05/20/2006 | Brittany Wallman

[Responsibility2nd]

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Mega-developers and the city's mayor are shooting down a proposed affordable-housing law, calling it unfair, communistic and doomed to failure. People could afford a place to live, the mayor said, if they were willing to work harder.

Mayor Jim Naugle, a conservative politician in his final term, said people mistakenly think they're entitled to affordable single-family houses on a 40-hour work routine. They need to work more hours, and even then settle for a condo or townhouse, Naugle said.

"I'm supposed to subsidize some schlock sitting on the sofa and drinking a beer, who won't work more than 40 hours a week?" he asked. "I deny that there is a problem. You can buy condos all day for $160,000."

Naugle's comments may be contested by the working-class citizens who've told the city they want homes but can't afford them. But his ideas might hit home in other circles, where a city proposal to make developers slash prices or pay a fee was met with skepticism.

"We ought to let the free market work," said Bill Scherer, a lawyer-developer on the city's Downtown Development Authority.

South Florida's cities only recently decided housing prices had reached crisis-level highs, and Fort Lauderdale is one of the first to try to pass a law to do something about it. The city is under pressure from Broward County to pass a law; otherwise, the county says it won't allow another wave of construction of thousands of condos downtown.

[Responsibility2nd]

Who has the sofa sitting-beer drinking-schlock pinglist?

Anyone?

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

if they don't like the prices they should move

[camle]

"They need to work more hours, and even then settle for a condo or townhouse, Naugle said. "

I have a better idea, bub: lower taxes so people can afford to live!

[flashbunny]

"South Florida's cities only recently decided housing prices had reached crisis-level highs, and Fort Lauderdale is one of the first to try to pass a law to do something about it. The city is under pressure from Broward County to pass a law; otherwise, the county says it won't allow another wave of construction of thousands of condos downtown."

Great idea - housing is too expensive, so threaten to constrict supply! Genius!

[cardinal4]

Mayor Jim Naugle, a conservative politician in his final term, said people mistakenly think they're entitled to affordable single-family houses on a 40-hour work routine. They need to work more hours, and even then settle for a condo or townhouse, Naugle said.

Like the rest of us..

[starfish923]

The mayor is correct.
There is no reason why the "state" should subsidize buying a house/condo at all in any form. There IS one exception.

War/combat veterans deserve that kind of subsidy.

[thegreatbeast]

Here's the problem (and yet it seems to go unaddressed in this article):
The city is under pressure from Broward County to pass a law; otherwise, the county says it won't allow another wave of construction of thousands of condos downtown.

[John Jorsett]

Wait a minute, I thought it was government's job to give me everything I want. Burn this heretic!

[fhlh]

DING DING DING!!! ....and we have a winner.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Uh, I think hizzoner meant "schmuck."

[rattrap]

"One person is working two or three jobs to get ahead, and one person isn't. Should we tax the person that's working hard to get ahead, to pay for the one who isn't?"

Bears Repeating.

[John Jorsett]

Here's the problem (and yet it seems to go unaddressed in this article): The city is under pressure from Broward County to pass a law; otherwise, the county says it won't allow another wave of construction of thousands of condos downtown.

Stated differently, "Give away housing below market prices, or we'll make housing even more scarce and costly." That certainly makes sense (not).

[brytlea]

Truthfully, S. FL is quite pricey (we had major sticker shock when we moved here). If you can't afford to live here, there are lots of other places around the country to live.
susie

[John Jorsett]

Uh, I think hizzoner meant "schmuck."

I was thinking "schlub."

[rattrap]

I know, I'm 100% against the progressive income tax.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I bet he was thinking of both, got the two mixed up, and came up with a kind of hybrid: "schlub" + "schmuck" = "schlock".

[Ptaz]

I have often wondered how many Americans could actually talk intelligently about what communism truly is:

"A theoretical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members"

Like my husband says "from each according to his means to each according to his means (except for the fat cats in government".

You'd think by this time most people would realize communism doesn't work and is doomed to failure by human nature alone.

[KenmcG414]

For once a politician who tells the truth. Where does it say in the constitution that government has to provide housing??