Naugle sticks to his guns in fiery e-mail exchanges(affordable housing)

Sun Sentinel ^ | 06/04/06 | Brittany Wallman

[Pikamax]

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Mayor Jim Naugle doesn't mind being called "selfish," "asinine," "callous," and "out of touch" for saying that homes are affordable in his city to buyers willing to expect less and work more.

He said he doesn't mind spending political capital to counter what he says is a media-concocted community "crisis" over affordable housing.

Naugle wants to defeat a proposed city law, on the City Commission table again Tuesday, that would force residential developers to sell or rent new housing at artificially low prices, or kick money into a kitty that middle-class buyers could use to buy or rent homes.

In the past two weeks since his comments were published, Naugle wrote e-mails defending and expanding on his views, to critics and supporters alike, that Fort Lauderdale's affordable housing crisis only applies to people sticking to a 40-hour workweek and coveting a single-family home.

[Pikamax]

Bravo to Naugle!

[coconutt2000]

Good for him.

Hawaii had a huge problem with the socialist mentality, which resulted in much fewer developments being approved in the past, leading to a high priced rental market, and too few new homes being built, making home prices outrageous compared to most of the country, with New York City and California being the primary exceptions.

Funny how cost of living is always higher in liberal dominated areas.

[DemforBush]

"Naugle wants to defeat a proposed city law, on the City Commission table again Tuesday, that would force residential developers to sell or rent new housing at artificially low prices, or kick money into a kitty that middle-class buyers could use to buy or rent homes."


Rent control, which is basically what this proposal is, always hurts far more than it helps.

Markets, not mandates!

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

Housing is an interesting issue that cannot be fully open to market forces in cities. The most immediate two reasons are zoning and limited amounts of space.

Zoning allows for city planning, which, if you want a city to be a livable and efficient place that doesn't require the constant destruction of streets and homes is a necessity.

The limited space of a city combined with the durable nature of housing requires the decision-making to be based on the allowing for an appropriate mix of workers to live within the confines of a city in order that it might function efficiently and prosperously.

In rapidly growing developing countries, cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, among others, are seeing vast areas of land being used to develop villas for the wealthiest individuals. Although a boon for the construction industry, in the medium and long-term this will not be appropriate for the health of the cities. With the population density of China, most of the cities will have to be skyscraper jungles like Hong-Kong. Thus the housing market does need to be regulated to allow for the maximum benefit of the city.

With regard to the specific incident at hand, my tendency is to agree with the politician that people need to balance their desires and expectations with their ability to afford them. There are a variety of ways to spend less money in exchange for other investments. Smaller cars or houses, fewer luxury items or harder work.

There is nothing wrong with working 40 hours and wanting the spend the time with ones family. In fact, I believe people should spend a lot more time doing that than pursuing ever more stuff to possess. The former is the path of Christ. The latter a much different path. For a Christian country, America is really on the wrong path if a bigger house and a far too large vehicle really are signs of success rather than a cohesive and loving family.

[Mark was here]

Housing is an interesting issue that cannot be fully open to market forces in cities. The most immediate two reasons are zoning and limited amounts of space.

In other words politicians know what is best for private property, and that they are responsible for putting the worker bees in their hives, while they, the politicans, drive past the hives in their limousines.

[stopem]

"The median price for a condo was only $202,000 in March, he noted".

That's an outrageous price for a condo. Artificially inflated. Maybe the rest of the people posting on this thread live in areas where this type cost for condo's is the norm.

Especially when builders have the benefit now of extremely cheap labor. And the fact that I read somewhere the cost of hurricane insurance is outrageous. Florida is hurricane country couple that with insurance and taxes how can a couple working two jobs each afford those prices?

What has the prices so high are speculators, there was alot of flipping condo's which artificially raised the price!

And for Naugle to tell families if you want a home go work more jobs is ignorant. One can hardly afford the price of a auto to go to work anymore.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

In other words politicians know what is best for private property, and that they are responsible for putting the worker bees in their hives, while they, the politicans, drive past the hives in their limousines

Alas in non-democratic societies, this often happens. Of course, city-planning is a real and time-tested academic pursuit, so it is not done on whims. Politicians who care about their cities sustainability and prospertiy make knowledgable choices. If they are democratically elected and make bad choices they lose their jobs.

Moreover, in the cases of cities, someone has to make the decisions. The limited space, requirements and resources makes them more akin to a ship. A ship is run by the captain, not by market forces.

Although I share your mistrust and dislike of politicians, I would ask you to present an alternative to city-planning that would actually permit a well-organized city?

[OrangeBlossomSpecial]

The socialist view you present of city planning is appropriate for a socialist country not Fort Lauderdale.
Your analogy of a city being like a ship is false as it applies to most cities. Cities are not isolated ships bobbing in abyss. . Until developers recently began bulldozing, people worked in the heart of downtown and lived elsewhere. The inner-city (which is about 1/2 a square mile)was exclusively about business not housing. If you can't afford to live in the heart of the city you will survive quite nicely within minutes of Downtown. No Captain is needed to ensure your survival. . There are an abundance of single family homes and apartments available costing less than 1/2 the price of those listed in the article! If a homeowner/buyer doesn't want to pay the UP-fee of living in the heart of the posh little city he has the option of transporting himself to work. Why is this such a novel concept? Next we will have the crying poor mouth for transportaion (50 cents) as the next great call to Fort Lauderdale Socialism. Certainly Europeans have demonstrated that walking and biking to work is not only FREE but beneficial to the heart and waistline. I say enough of government meddling and price-fixing. The weather is perfect year-round so why not walk 4 blocks and stop whining! Mayor Naugle, should turn this issue into one of integration. The area within walking distance of Downtown Fort Lauderdale with loads of affordable housing is currently inhabited by very few Caucasions. Why should the City of Ft.L step in and mandate pricing because a "family" chooses not to integrate or commute 5 minutes?

[DUMBGRUNT]

Of course, city-planning is a real and time-tested academic pursuit, so it is not done on whims..

The gods dwell in the details.

Some high dollar areas request 1000 sq ft/ person, yet I know of a couple who pay top dollar for less then 200 sq ft in NYC no tub, no shower!!! (They use a portable folding shower gismo).

With most building codes you end up with a cookie cutter landscape. Low income housing equals mini ghettos. There needs to be a way to mix smaller homes with the McMansions, this can only be driven by market forces, if by fiat it will fail. The marketplace requires labor of many values, if you have to import labor the cost go up.

I do not believe that perceived social differences mix well? Any ideas?

[Graybeard58]

top dollar for less then 200 sq ft in NYC no tub, no shower!!!

My smallest bed room is bigger that that.

How does anyone live in 200 sq ft? It sounds like a jail cell.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

There is a thing called a return key.

It makes paragraphs which allow for easier reading when changing thoughts.

Look around your keyboard and you will find it.

[HockeyPop]

"Mayor Naugle, should turn this issue into one of integration. The area within walking distance of Downtown Fort Lauderdale with loads of affordable housing is currently inhabited by very few Caucasions. Why should the City of Ft.L step in and mandate pricing because a "family" chooses not to integrate or commute 5 minutes?"

You hit the nail on the head! There is an abundance of affordable housing in both inner city as well as in outlying cities in Broward County if people don't mind living in mixed race or historically black neighborhoods. So Florida has seen a massive influx of immigration whereby those coming from from poor carribean and South American nations have been able to find housing. Yet you won't hear the Ft Lauderdale "Lenin" Sentinel discuss it or draw comparisons. In fact, the paper's editorial writer who's been in the front with his criticism of Mayor Naugle, Michael Mayo, is a notorious leftist who was honored by and received a plaque from CAIR in 2004.