Comments on: After a housing-suit settlement, Westchester voters rebel

By: Believer in Freedom

Believer in Freedom — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:53:51 +0000

If the protesters (for some cause or another) were mostly black and poor would that also make them racists ?

I get really tired of left wing-nuts accusing anyone who disagrees with them on any fiscal issue of being racists

By: John Beaty

John Beaty — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:34:22 +0000

Yes, but in areas like Westchester, with cost of living among the highest in the country, “multi-family housing” is EXACTLY non-white. Port Chester is where the maids, gardeners etc live, who work for the McMansions in Rye, Greenwich etc.

So it’s not really surprising that the voters who turn out to protest housing issues are mostly white and affluent. Like I said, a very racist area. Those of us who grew up on the “right side” of the tracks remember back to the 60’s not being allowed to go to PC because it was “dangerous”.

As well, it’s not just property taxes by themselves, but how they are used. Look at the problems in OR, where the (mostly) republican and white rural areas fight the (mostly) non-white and democratic major cities exactly over issues of school funding.

By: Walter Ronten

Walter Ronten — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:47:47 +0000

Community resistance to multi-family and affordable housing is a big problem. Forget social engineering for a minute. It greatly contributes to the cost of housing in the US. Rather than racism, I believe the dependence of local governments on property taxes is a big factor. A plot of land can support 5 or 6 family homes, or an appartment/condo complex with, say, 30 or so families. Both will generate about the same property taxes, but local government service costs are also driven by population – especially schools. Solution: Decrease property taxes and increase local government share of state sales taxes or income taxes. Also make local services more fee for use based.

By: John Beaty

John Beaty — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:34:09 +0000

I grew up there (Rye, Port Chester) and it is one of the most racist areas I have ever been in. Just a bit more covert about it than, say, Selma. For example, the non-town of Rye Brook: a way of garnering county funds for schools and services not connected with Port Chester: One is white and affluent by design, the other, Hispanic, latino and black, and lower-middle-class.

Plus, Spano and the various mayors of the area have cut themselves in for many lucrative deals, not the least being the Port Chester waterfront. I would consider the possibility that voters simply revolted against the greed.