Commission votes down Ken's housing proposal
On Thursday, the City Commission voted down Commissioner Ken Russell's proposal to take $2 million from Miami's Forever Bond and use it to help low income residents in Village West put the money into their home to help preserve them. The goal is to try and save some of the wooden homes, which are a big part of Coconut Grove's history. But by consensus and the mean-spirited comments we received here, taxpayers were not going for it. It's amazing how the "help thy neighbor" credo seems to be thing of the past. I'm sure of the city was handing out money, most of these mean-spirited people would be the first in line, they are they type who seem to never give to charity anyway. Their share of the $2 million was probably so small but still too much to help a neighbor.
One anonymous person threatened Ken by saying "it's time to shape up or ship out." I'm betting this person didn't even vote in the last election and never gives a penny to charity and of course they remained anonymous, so we have no real way of knowing.
But even if the proposal was not a good idea in many people's eyes, there still is the question of preserving the original wooden houses in the Grove. Why not have the city purchase them and then lease them out to people to regain the money? Turn them into museums if they fall near or in what could be a commercial area or turn them into small businesses or lease them to people to live in? They city would maintain them and keep the property out of the hands of greedy developers, who many don't seem to mind subsidizing, closing streets for and having our small village destroyed in the name of progress.
Pretty soon, actually today, many of us don't recognize Coconut Grove anymore and the small steps we try to preserve it never win out. But let's see how much of the $400 million in the Forever Bond account ends up being wasted and lost, as is usually the case anyway.
One anonymous person threatened Ken by saying "it's time to shape up or ship out." I'm betting this person didn't even vote in the last election and never gives a penny to charity and of course they remained anonymous, so we have no real way of knowing.
But even if the proposal was not a good idea in many people's eyes, there still is the question of preserving the original wooden houses in the Grove. Why not have the city purchase them and then lease them out to people to regain the money? Turn them into museums if they fall near or in what could be a commercial area or turn them into small businesses or lease them to people to live in? They city would maintain them and keep the property out of the hands of greedy developers, who many don't seem to mind subsidizing, closing streets for and having our small village destroyed in the name of progress.
Pretty soon, actually today, many of us don't recognize Coconut Grove anymore and the small steps we try to preserve it never win out. But let's see how much of the $400 million in the Forever Bond account ends up being wasted and lost, as is usually the case anyway.
posted by Tom Falco at 6:00 AM
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7 Comments:
Threaten Ken Russel? It's called holding your elected officials accountable -- the exact thing you are doing in the first paragraph of this post by calling out waste and pork in government spending.
The Miami Forever Bond funds are supposed to be used for seal-level rise mitigation, public spaces, safety, and affordable housing. There is NOTHING mean-spirited by opposing their diversion to PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS. In fact, that is the exact type of waste and pork spending that you are advocating against.
This view is NOT "mean-spirited." If the city wants to hold a referendum on whether public funds should be doled out to PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS then it should do that -- but that is not what the Miami Forever Bond was meant for.
Additionally, this has nothing to do with neighbors not being sympathetic to their less-fortunate neighbors. In fact, a portion of the Miami Forever Bond is intended for affordable and workforce housing. That'll be a great way to assist our less fortunate neighbors stay in the community.
The problem here is that certain individuals believe that there should be no limit to what the rest of us more fortunate members of the community should do to help the West Grove. While I think that that sentiment comes from a good place, the view is also extremely self-righteous and sanctimonious and it certainly does not justify raiding the coffers of the Miami Forever Bond. People post anonymously on these issues because they fear being accused of being bigots or racists merely because they oppose something that may help the current residents of the West Grove. But fairness is a two-way street -- there must be limits on what is expected of the rest of the Grove residents. As a result, a vocal, fire-breathing minority is able to monopolize the stage of public discourse and stamp out any dissent by liberally throwing out veiled accusations of xenophobia. That is nasty. To be sure, their views do not represent the majority's and I think in the next city election we will see that.
Grape, you will probably censor or not publish this post because it opposes your views and those of many of your most prolific commenters, but these sentiments must be shared with you. Hopefully they will cause you to see the other side and you will keep them in mind when accusing your readers of being "mean-spirited."
Have a great weekend.
Bravo to the City for turning this down. This is not the way public money should be spent. I like Ken but he was way off on this one.
$400 Million dollars that billionaires and developer wolves have been salivating for.
Do U know that Cuba, Haiti and other lower income countries sent agents into every single county in the U.S., to determine which county had what amount - - - - to use to help those folks in those counties, who were born there, raised there and worked there, who collectively formed that county way back, back around the forties, fifties, sixties and early seventies, who collectively put a portion of their tax dollars into a fund to help their neighbors, when they either got sick or injured and couldn't work? Those agents then informed their governments who in turn pointed their poor, hungry and greedy free grazers to those counties and in no time at all billions and billions of dollars were simply gone. If this leads a bad taste in your mouth study history. And did U know that in every bank in the U.S.A., there's a letter display a regulation identifying THE COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT OF 1977, which states that about 4% of all reserves must be loaned to those less fortunate in that banks community. Those folks who need money for their salvation should go to the Coconut Grove Bank & Trust and fill out an application to fix their home. Jobie Steppe
It’s amazing that people are criticizing and shaming people over something that was poorly thought out and naive in its suggestion but most importantly would have been nearly impossible to implement regardless of our comments - this Miami Herald article outlines the facts - facts do matter. All around it is very disappointing.
The Miami assistant city manager and chief financial officer, told the Miami Herald that funneling bond dollars to initiatives such as private property renovations comes with significant restrictions, making Russell's proposition more complicated than it may seem.
To make that happen, the public dollars would have to come with an obligation that the homeowner doesn't flip the home after renovations.
"If you're going to give public money to private property owners, you would need to be sure a public good is established and will be there for the life of the bond," Casamayor said.
Maybe most importantly the money isn’t even available to be spent as the city has not gone to market with the bonds yet.
Stop shaming before you even look at the facts!
Link: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article214053639.html
Shaming vs. facts. FACT: someone or something wanted money transferred to benefit private homeowners. FACT: some folks did like this idea and so stated. This does not qualify as shame or shaming. Better yet look up shame then Wikipedia, or "Stop calling all criticism" Shaming - Slate Magazine. If someone wants to pay to have my roof fixed, come on, no shame here. Jobie Steppe
I find it annoying that nobody says there name. First comment I think was by AC. But to say the city should purchase properties and lease them out. What . I already read about turning this and that into museums. No no no they all lose money. Save the churches parks but not some termit4d sack. That is life. I remember when the Goombay festival was the greatest. Old blacks have been moved out. Too Bad, but so have drug dealers.
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