Prosperity Fraud

No city, including Santa Barbara, can build itself into affordable housing and into prosperity. The more housing that is built, the more people will come here and the more demand for housing, city services, welfare and more congestion too, even as our idiot planners ordain that there will be less cars. The AUD [Average Unit-size Density] program is a fraud!

The only answer for the California Coast is the bullet train in the valley. This would begin a new land and job rush, and prosperity for those who cannot afford to live on the coast.

The bottom line is that if you cannot afford to live where you live or want to live, then you have to move to a second choice or even third choice city. Most people cannot afford a $20 million home and a private 747 jet and a 300-foot yacht. People have to adjust to their means.

Those who commute to work here or have moved out of the coastal high rent area have adjusted to their realities. It is not their choicest way to live, but this is the system we have. It has absolutely nothing to do with race or ethnic origin; it has everything to do with housing demand versus supply. The demand is great to live here, and the supply of housing cannot keep up and never will. This will continue to force rents up.

The only way that an affordable housing program could work would be to reserve any new such housing for local residents who have lived here X number of years. But gosh oh gee whiz, they already have housing.

This push to increase housing stocks here is akin to Trump’s tax plan bill. Lower taxes for the corporations and the super rich will not create jobs. It will create richer execs and and stockholders. The idea that you and your family will get a $4,000 to $9,000 gain in income is a sick joke. Cutting the inheritance tax benefits 2 percent of Americans, who also happen to be the richest people in the country! Fraud!