Do we really want to place more responsibility with the same officials who brought us billions in welfare fraud and the Bullet Train fiasco?
Hope all the driving was worth it! Some main points of article
A public stance of holding meetings and workshops, while pretending to be “transparent”, does not change the stripes of this tiger.
Along with this is the insistence union labor PLA’s be utilized in large projects; especially those where public land or funding is involved. This melds well In Concord and most other cities where unions donations are largely responsible for electing office holders.
Especially in suburbia, single family homes, set on a lot, with a backyard and privacy, are what most families desire. To them this is more important than unscientific concerns about climate change, diversity, racial equity, inclusion, reparations, and other socialistic ideals pushed by Sacramento.
We must ask do we desire to turn over urban planning from local communities to these woke ideologues?
“The song remains the same” by Richard Eber
Richard Eber, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 5/18/23
If a business is seeking to hire a chief financial officer (CFO), the last place to look is a list of parolees just finishing a stint for embezzlement at San Quentin. Unless we are looking at a mafia operation, no company would make such a grievous error.
Much like this analogy, the government in California continues to make the same mistakes adapting losing strategies in promoting the construction of new residences. Do we really want to place more responsibility with the same officials who brought us billions in welfare fraud and the Bullet Train fiasco?
Unfortunately, this misguided approach is reflected by the laws passed by the Legislature to promote the construction of needed housing in the Golden State.
In Concord, where I have lived most of my adult life, this pretzel logic has percolated to the City Council’s efforts to formulate a plan to development of 15,000 new homes, commercial properties, and open space at the shutdown Naval Weapons Depot.
Twice, they have struck out after awarding developer contracts to shady operations of Lennar and Seeno controlled entities. Both companies have a long record of civil lawsuits and corruption leading to convictions of key personnel. Lennar even defaulted on a nearly one-billion-dollar loan to the public employee CalPERS pension fund.
Despite such setbacks, Concord appears to be making the same mistakes as they search for a new vendor. They will try to find a partner with a better reputation. This will be a difficult task. Only a crooked concern, expecting to change terms and conditions at a later time, would likely be interested in the job.
A public stance of holding meetings and workshops, while pretending to be “transparent”, does not change the stripes of this tiger.
The problem with Concord and other communities throughout California is their guidelines for planning large projects are so out of line with economic reality. Why do they call it “smart growth” when the process is so retarded?
In Concord’s case, the liberal City Council continues to support:
- A Project Labor Agreement (PLA) demands only union labor be hired to do all work. This adds approximately 20% more expenses by eliminating non-union contractors, even if they pay prevailing wages.
- The 25% affordable housing quotient, in effect, subsidizes low-income units. This cost is added to the selling price of market rate residences. To promote such policies density discounts are approved, allowing for an inferior product. fewer parking spaces, smaller rooms, and more congestion being among the bi-products.
- Outlandish community benefits would be subsidized by the developer such as recreational facilities, schools, community centers, parks, etc. If this laundry list is too long, developers are unable to make a profit thus killing the “Golden Goose”.
- To meet this lopsided criterion, most construction planned is for high-rise and multi-unit apartments. They are less preferable to detached single family homes desired by almost all families.
The Concord City Council and many other communities throughout California, have largely caved into these losing arguments. In most cases, voters have kept electing the same incumbents, who have continually failed them.
Because of state laws mandating new housing be built or the State will take over the zoning and permit process, it is felt there is no alternative other than adapting so called Progressive Housing agendas listed above. Local politicians are taken off the hook by claiming their “hands are tied.”
Currently SB-423 sponsored by Senator Scott Wiener D-San Francisco does exactly that. It punishes communities that defied his SB-35 from 2017. It mandated every city construct housing to fulfill their quota set by the state. Under SB-423, municipalities would no longer (except for lawsuits) be able to defy Senator Wiener and his cohorts.
Along with this is the insistence union labor PLA’s be utilized in large projects; especially those where public land or funding is involved. This melds well In Concord and most other cities where unions donations are largely responsible for electing office holders.
The end result is the predicament Concord faces where even crony capitalist developers experience difficulties without massive subsidies from the State and Federal governments, to make a buck handling these massive undertakings.
Unfortunately, the end product is so out of touch with the mainstream electorate.
Especially in suburbia, single family homes, set on a lot, with a backyard and privacy, are what most families desire. To them this is more important than unscientific concerns about climate change, diversity, racial equity, inclusion, reparations, and other socialistic ideals pushed by Sacramento.
We must ask do we desire to turn over urban planning from local communities to these woke ideologues?
Setting priorities
The freedom conservatives such as I covet is not difficult to understand. We want to help the poor rise up from poverty; being free of government assistance. In a similar vein, our desire is to assist the growing homeless population, although recent efforts of government intervention have frustrated us.
This same logic tells us Americans need to prop up the indigent population in our country prior to allowing mass illegal immigration over our Southern border. This comprises a huge drain to limited social assistance resources.
It is unfortunate that holding such views has allowed much of the liberal media to depict dissenters as insensitive, racist, elitist, slime balls who only care about themselves. In such an environment, it is no wonder why there is so much polarization between the left and right.
I for one is troubled by the attitudes of both Republicans and Democrats. As the 2024 election season nears, it is my hope new candidates emerge from both parties that provide middle of the road alternatives to unite America.
Such an approach might sound idealistic; but is still within our grasp.
