WHEDA Subsidized Housing on Kenosha's North Side

Today I received the following comments via Email -

From: Debbie Belcher Email: dbelcher630@yahoo.com  

Subject: wheda (Sent via Activerain)

First of all, You should never encourage anyone to not help people like us, I am a single mother who is unemployed and can not find work and will be thrown out on the streets very soon due to this. How dare you tell the people to not be for this program. If someone is willing to purchase property to help people like us especially single parents then you should keep your 2 cents out of it. I used to live in IL and caprini green is nothing like it used to be. I am from the suburbs although I used to work uptown/downtown and it's not all that bad. They actually built and are still building very high properties out there to get the bad out. I just can't believe in our economy today that you would post something like this up to not help people lik eus. One day you'll be out of a job, what then. What goes around comes around, right.

Message details: From: Debbie Adams Email: dbelcher630@yahoo.com

Subject: Your website (Sent via Activerain)

I am requesting your ignorance to be removed

Dear Debbie:

While I respect the fact that you are a struggling single mother, I think that you are missing the point.  I believe that there is a place for everything, and if you or anyone else is in a position where you need help getting on your feet, people who are more fortunate do have a moral obligation to help others, including making sure that children never go homeless or hungry. 

I think we can ALL agree on that.  Where we disagree is in where and how to help.  Calling me ignorant because I disagree with one of those proposals does nothing to further your cause. This post was not about how to solve all of our economic woes but rather one specific program that in my educated opinion hurts more than it helps.

Some people live in 6 Million Dollar Houses in Lake Forrest, should I expect the government to help subsidize a developer to build a house in that neighborhood so I can rent it for an amount based on MY income?   Sure I would love to live their, but I can't afford it, and I didn't earn it. (Yet) The difference is, I don't have a sense of resentment, jealousy or entitlement toward those that live there. Instead I am happy for them and hopeful that some day I or my children will achieve that level of success in spite of the adversity that we all face in this economy. I also understand that bringing down the value of their assets means less taxes being paid by them, and a greater burden on those of us less fortunate.  The wealthiest of Americans pay the greatest share of taxes in this country, and I want to keep them wealthy so they can continue to afford to pay.   Winston Churchill once said - Capitalism is the UNEQUAL distribution of wealth, but Communism is the EQUAL distribution of misery. 

These subsidized homes (which it appears for the time being, are off the table) were going to be built on single family home sites that the original developer had received approval from the city to build quality homes similar to the quality of the surrounding homes.  Some of the people already living in the neighborhood have worked hard and saved their entire lives to build and buy homes here and in the two surrounding neighborhoods, and don't like the idea that their property values could be destroyed in a very short period of time by having the Government subsidize 4 bedroom homes and then renting these homes to people who have not worked and saved their whole lives to live there. 

While there are exceptions to the rule, there are many out there who "game the system" and have no regard for the properties they are living in or the neighborhood because they didn't earn it.  Their children haven't learned the same lessons that I am teaching my children that if you want something in life, you have to EARN IT, beause their parents are living the culture of entitlement and hand outs and feel they deserve the same lifestyle that I am living, even though I work and they do not. 

The developer was going to make a substantial profit off of the taxpayers dime by building this subsidized housing, while taking actions that would lower the values of many homes he already developed, built and/or sold to other residents in the area.  It had nothing to do with philanthropy and everything to do with capitalism, but when that capitalism is on my (the taxpayers) dime, it is not capitalism at all. 

Yes, someone in a tough situation deserves TEMPORARY help to get back on their feet, to make sure there is a roof over their head, and food in their children's mouths.  Yes I do pay taxes and give to my church and donate to charity in order to help those families.  We do things like feed the hungry and donate to the poor.  We even have a tradition in my family that the adults choose a charity to all donate to at Christmas in lieu of expensive gifts to one another.  We make sure the children are part of that process and they understand the need to help your neighbor.

This is the most generous nation in the world an in spite of our flaws, we have equal opportunity to succeed, but what we do NOT have is a guarantee to equal outcome.  It's up to you to determine your outcome.

There is a difference between charity and social engineering.  If you want to live in a country where everyone gets the same, I suggest you read the works of Karl Marx and choose a country where the regime was inspired by his works.  (A word of caution - don't expect to choose your own profession or your home in one of those countries, and don't expect the right to speak your mind there either)