The recent column by Froma Harrop could well have been written with the city of Snohomish in mind (“Don’t give away too much for ‘affordable’ housing,” The Herald, Dec. 22).
Two years ago, phony progressives and local real estate barons convinced the Snohomish City Council to create the Midtown District at a zoning density maximum of 165 dwelling units per acre. Then, if that wasn’t enough, the phony progressives tried last year to enact the MFTE property tax giveaway to developers. Only because of public opinion, the council rejected that scheme.
On Dec. 6, the Snohomish City Planning Commission, dominated by a local high-rise developer and 20-year member, recommended to the council more financial incentives for developers if they set-aside only 10 units out of every 100 units built for so-called “affordable housing.”
To pay for these giveaways to developers, the City’s General Fund and the Dedicated 0.1 percent Sales and Use Tax Fund for the very low-income and homeless folks will have to absorb the loss. In other words, robbing the very poor and homeless to further enrich the real estate barons. (The trust-busting President Teddy Roosevelt coined the term “Robber Barons” to describe the crony capitalism of the Carnegies and the Rockefellers, who illegally cornered the market on steel and oil.)
The Snohomish City Council should again reject financial incentives for private developers. The private free market and the nonprofit and governmental sectors will still be able to develop housing without them.
Morgan Davis
Snohomish
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
