One issue platform doesn't cut it

[eds]

A year ago we elected a group of people to Congress to bring about a change to the Iraq War. It was a single issue election. People were and are still dissatisfied with the Iraq War and wanted to send a clear message.

Now, nearly a year later, the Congressional approval rating is the lowest it has has been which is 75% dissapproving of Congress. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/26/poll.congress/index.html

To me that sounds like the same majority that voted them in the first place. Everyone's mind was on one issue, maybe two. The War and maybe healthcare. But it takes a lot more to be successful in Congress than a couple issues.

You can't just run on a ticket of getting our troops out and giving us so-called universal health care. Do people actually think that their elected official will just show up at Washington, propose a bill, get it passed and then viola, the job is done?

Some would say that this is because Bush is still president and that the Congress's hands are tied. The current Congress could not even override the lastest Bush veto and Democrats have a majority. The Congress can override the president if they have enough votes but I guess they don't.

People need to realize the overall value of a candidate and not just vote for the one that promises what you want. Remember Lowell P. Weicker, Jr? He promised no income tax and then implemented it anyway. He got in simply because of that promise and had no intention of keeping it.

Now to my point. The We the People Candidates are one issue candidates without a clear plan to decrease taxes. You cannot simply devalue property to make the taxes go down. No valuation company will ever do that nor would they intentionally raise property values. No one has shown any evidence of that. No one from WTP has shown a clear plan, listing line by line what items of the budget will be cut.

We would need to bring the mill rate down to 20 or 21 to make the taxes the same amount as they were. That's about 7 points down. How will WTP do that? What will they cut specifically? The budget is public knowledge. Here's a link: http://www.cityofmeriden.org/forms/customer-files/232-FY2008AdoptedBudget.htm

Let's see...Would they cut Streets and Sidewalks? That's $15,000 right there. Step over that crack in the sidewalk. What about Office supplies for the city Manager at $20,000. I mean he can bring his own pencil right? How about under Law, Tuition Reimbursement for $12,000? I mean who needs education anyway?

What is the WTP's comprehensive plan for reform? Or are they, like so many other politicians have, simply running on a single issue just to be elected. Are they going to have a plan going into this or are they just winging it?

Remember what happened last year when we tried to elect a Congress to get our troops out? That failed. They had no plan to get our troops out. Their plan was just to draft a bill and force the issue. Very shortsighted and very uninformed.

WTP will be the same thing. I see no plan. I see a plan for our current incumbents. They've already executed it. They reduced the budget from last year by 1.2 million and increases have averaged just 3% over the last 4 years.

Granted a bigger slice of the tax pie is being paid by residents. That's true and its unfortunate. I would entertain any real discussion on how to handle that. Right now I see it as simply the housing market, combined with the amount of commercial vs residential properties in the area.

Does WTP have a plan to get more commerical business in Meriden to alleviate the tax burden on residents? Or will the residents vote down any proposals for big box stores like they tried to do when the Big Blue Home Improvement Center proposed plans for another store in Meriden? Something has to give and I would welcome any discussion that talks hard facts, here on this thread. Let's talk.

[collie]

Well, you can spin the numbers any way you like and praise the Democrats til the cows come home but I certainly will be including a few WTP candidates when I vote. I research all the candidates thoroughly and split my ticket. How can I put this politely - all I know is my quarterly taxes have risen from 8 to 12 hundred dollars. Gee, thanks a heap for not jacking up my car taxes too. I'm not impressed. I don't have to be. You go ahead and vote for the status quo. You happen to think that's best for Meriden. I don't and I sure don't look at it as a one issue situation.

[eds]

collie,

Your taxes went up. Me too. I pay the same amount of taxes you do. You said you research the candidates thoroughly. Educate me. Do you know what WTP's plan is to lower your tax bill? I don't like to pay unnecessarily high taxes either. It sounds like you know more about the candidates than me. Am I voting for the wrong candidate? Please tell me why. I looked at the budget. What do we cut?

As for jacking up car taxes, car taxes go down because the value of your car went down. The value of the house went up. I had my house appraised by two different appraisers and they all agreed on the value. I made sure I pointed out all the improvements that I made both inside and out. I wanted an accurate appraisal. And it was.

House values go up and they will continue to go up even after this slump. The next appraisal will be higher. Those are the facts. Its not a big conspiracy and nothing WTP can do to stop it. Its the market. What was once affordable will become less affordable as time goes on. House ownership will become out of reach for many people. I don't make the rules and I don't like that fact. What can we do to stop that? Or to change it? I would love to know what anyone's plan is to stop the so-called decline of the middle class.

Please excuse my ignorance, but no one to date has divulged their radical new plan which will lower taxes to affordable levels. I don't want to jump from the kettle into the fire, so to speak. How do we know WTP will be better? We thought the current Democratic congress would be better and yet to date they have not even been able to override one single veto from King George.

I am a Libertarian. My plan is simple. Privatize everything. Let competition keep prices lower. Let free markets determine the price. That's how Sam Walton did it. That's how The Big Orange and the Big Blue home improvement centers do it. They keep the prices low and customers keep shopping there.

As a student of economics, I understand economic theory. Does the WTP understand those theories too? I don't know.

[collie]

You have researched the budget thoroughly and that was your choice of how to spend your time. Reading between the lines, though, you seem to be attacking WTP and supporting the Democrats. Seems as though your questions should be funneled to WTP; personally I'm comfortable with who I'm going to vote for. I don't necessarily think an ordinary voter has to devote 40 hours a week into deciphering the city budget in order to figure out who to vote for. I don't mean that in a snotty way, either; your mathematical abilities are impressive. I prefer to cut to the chase, which is the size of the check I write to the city in taxes and how it has grossly increased in the past year. That is not to say that is the only reason I will be including WTP when I cast my vote. I'm not impressed by the staus quo in Meriden on a multitude of layers. The Papandrea email sanctioned by so may prominent Democrats, the strange and very undemocratic way public comment is conducted at City Council meetings and a ceremonial mayor strongarming the Housing Authority into hiring a consultant to explore demolition of the Mills Housing Project in order to obtain needed non-profit status for Chamberlain Heights renovation, the continued demolition of state and national historic structures in Meriden ... are a few examples from my perspective. The fact that a third party emerged at all sends a message in this democratic process and that is not to say that the Republicans don't have some good candidates as well. Every election is different; I study the candidates from my own unique position and pick who I think is the best, or more often the lesser of two evils. I think the only Democrat I'm voting for this time around is for the Board of Education.

[eds]

First I want to thank you for the opportunity to openly debate your position. It is this kind of frank and honest debate that we need to ensure the right direction for Meriden.

You pose interesting issues other than taxes. Let me see if I understand them.

1. You are unhappy that Papandrea was not removed because he forwarded an alleged racist email. (I've discussed this in another thread, btw, which is why I say alleged.)

2. Public comment at City Council meetings is not democratic.

3. The mayors strong arm tactics.

4. Destruction of historic buildings

Now let me reply to them based upon my opinion of how I see these issues.

As I recall there were third party candidates in the past, namely Libertarian. Democrats still won. The Democrats in this town are very conservative Democrats. They are not the usual liberal types you might think of when discussing Democrats on the national level.

Ok so what is WTP going to do about public comment? What's the solution? I personally have not seen this issue at the meetings I have attended. I have seen public comment cut off because the public is just not saying anything new or just beating a dead horse. I have seen at times when public comment is not appropriate because it would be disruptive to the meeting. So am I missing something?

As to the allegations of strong arms tactics that is hearsay. WTP will never use strong arm tactics? Have you been to Tom's Place lately? As I understand "The Mills" as it is called is a derelict housing project in need of serious repairs due to vandalism by tenants and other people. The reason for the dereliction was reported to be due to cut backs in maintenance staff. Painting, cleaning, maintenance needs to be done. There is a lack of security to allow anyone to wander into the place. Though maintenance workers say the vandalism is caused by tenants who don't care about their housing, leaving garbage in hallways, etc.

So based upon my understanding we have two issues. Lack of manpower for maintenance and lack of caring for one's own environment. If the tenants can't keep a clean home, why should taxpayers pay to have it cleaned everyday? Nevertheless there are tenants who do respect their homes, so those that don't should be prosecuted.

Has WTP addressed this issue to you personally? Because I have not heard one iota from WTP in the debates on TV or anywhere else what they intend to do about "The Mills". And I don't want to call them either. Because unless they say it in a public forum, it means nothing.

Is WTP going to discipline those that litter? Prosecute vandals. How will they do that when the police force in Meriden has to cover more area with less manpower than other towns have? They would have to increase the number of police in the department. With what money? How will WTP pay for all this. Sounds like spooky voodoo economics to me.

How about providing additional funding for more maintenance workers? How to pay for that additional funding? Anything? Please tell me...

In order to not destroy public buildings and historic places, one needs to ensure that they are being utilized, that the money to repair them is available, and that they are placed on the register of historic landmarks. Has WTP addressed how they will attract people to use these buildings, repair them, and bring them up to code?

There currently is activity going on under the present administration which encourages downtown development. As we speak there are renovations being done to one historic building downtown for use as offices. Also the Unitarian church was just bought and will be used as a church. There are more buildings being restored today under the current administration than ever before. And WTP will do what to improve this?

In my opinion WTP will not spend one dime on any downtown redevelopment efforts to preserve historic buildings because that costs too much money in their opinion. Money that supposedly Meriden does not have. WTP will not spend one dime to increase maintenance workers at The Mills because that would cost money. They are trying to cut the budget to reduce taxes. They can't do both. You can't have it both ways.

I find it ironic that you would vote for a party whose claim to fame is reducing taxes and yet want more money to be spent in areas like downtown preservation, low-income housing maintenance, and such.

To address the other items you bring up I will say I am not a registered Democrat, never have been, and have no affiliations with that party. I have registered as a Republican at times and as a Libertarian to vote in their respective primaries. But I am voting for the people I know, no matter their party.

[collie]

I'll vote for who I feel will treat me with more respect than the Patsy Papandrea crowd currently in control. Don't waste your time trying to change my mind - I am stubborn. I find it laughable you think the status quo in Meriden gives a **** about affordable housing. The mayor has been pretty blatant about a need for "balanced" housing in Meriden. Read between the lines - low and moderate income is not what they want here. They want them out, out, out and higher income in, in, in! In fact, recent revaluations in a twisted way have given them a real leg up on that situation. Hope that's what the really wanted. I have never seen so many homes for sale. Of course, I don't think the Democrats will admit that but it looks like middle class are trying to sell their homes and move since revaluation. Mortgage foreclosures are also up as high as 440% in our larger cities. Wonder if phasing in the higher taxes would have made any difference in those kind of situations in Meriden.

[eds]

I am not trying to change anyone's mind. I am bringing to light my opinions on how I see the elections. You are entitled to vote as you will. I just love a good debate. The purpose of a debate is to give light to different sides of an argument and present those sides in favorable circumstance using facts as they are known.

Low income housing does not and should not include single family homes. It sounds like people are confusing the privilege of home ownership with the humane right to simple shelter.

The humane act of the community providing simple shelter for those who are either on hard times or who need help is quite different than providing a single family home to these people, gratis. Basic affordable shelter should be strictly apartment buildings of which there are plenty in Meriden. Owning a house is not a right, it is a luxury one works very hard to achieve. It must earned. I am not saying people should not have access to affordable, basic, and efficient rental apartments so they can be warm, safe and off the streets. It's simple basic living. If one wants more, one needs to earn it.

There is only so much room that can be dedicated to simple basic shelter. I think we have that covered. We need to balance charitable endeavors with profitable ventures.

There were plenty of houses for sale in Meriden long before the revaluations. Now there are additional houses for sale because people bought houses they could not afford and should never have been allowed to purchase in the first place. The market is correcting that mistake.

Houses were selling for above what they were worth in most cases. That is why there are foreclosures everywhere you look. People bought houses they really could not afford, with little or no money down, with poor credit, and adjustable rate mortgages. All they wanted was to live the American dream of homeownership without regard for the consequences. Well it bit them in the butt and it had nothing to do with the revaluation. It's happening all over the nation. Mortgages were being underwritten that should never have been underwritten. The failures are occuring in the sub-prime market. The sub-prime market includes those people who are not qualified to purchase a home, due to poor credit, low income, no money down, etc.

Along time ago you could not but a house unless you had 20% down payment. It should never have changed. Unless you have 20% down payment you really can't afford a house. 100% financing is what caused this problem. I know of people who showed up at closing and could not even bring an extra $1500 to cover some of the closing costs. They literally had no money in savings, and could barely make the monthly payment. That's no way to start off being a homeowner. The market is doing them a favor.

[collie]

I always thought low to moderate income housing was for everyone in a community who was low to moderate income. We are not a "rich" town acccording to census records. Far from it. Decrease low to moderate income housing in a community, increase higher income housing and guess who leadership is trying to drive out of Meriden! I never thought low to moderate income housing was free, especially moderate income. Section 8 has to pay on a sliding scale according to how much they earn. So they can "afford" to live somewhere on a low income. Meriden was 98% affordable; at least that was the spin the City put on it when they applied every year for CDBG funds. I don't like to see leadership from City Hall, the mayor and the POCD, seeking to "balance" housing to more "higher income" because I think this is going to affect the majority of the community. $50,000./yr. for a family of four isn't high income these days, it's moderate income and many of us do own homes, some free and clear without morgages. Will there be apartments for us to move to in Meriden when we can't afford the costs of our homes? Not if current leadership has its way - they clearly want less apartments and more home owners, say a family of four raking in a couple of hundred thousand per year. People in those income ranges will not be attracted to a town with failing schools and our private school stock is dwindling rapidly.

[eds]

I was refering to people down and out without a job and no money.

It would seem you refer to the ability of average wage earners to purchase a modest home in Meriden which is priced such that it is within a reasonable expectation of affordability. That expectation is about 28% to 36% total debt payments.

For a wage earner family, the median income, and not average, is $46,495 for all households. That means half earn more and half earn less than that. So earning $50,000 per year is a good figure to use for most folks in Meriden. A mortgage payment that is approximately 28-36% of their annual income is what is recommended by financial experts. Housing is supposed to be about that percentage of income or thereabouts, to be affordable. At that value one's mortgage payment should be $1,400-$1800 per month, assuming no credit card debt.

The median, not average, price of a home in Meriden is $258,000. That means that 50% of the houses in Meriden cost more, and 50% cost less. So if our median wage earner making $50,000 a year wishes to purchase a house at the median value of $258,000 here is what they need.

Assuming a person has a great credit rating of about 760-790:
20% down payment is $51,600
Closing costs, escrows, attorney fees, etc is $5000
Mortgage rate would be about 7.2% for 30 years fixed rate
Borrowing amount is $206,400
Monthly mortgage payment is $1401.02
plus about $250 more for escrows at the current rate.

The mortgage payment is well within the 28% to 36% total debt payments recommended by banks. And you could still have a car payment of about $350 which get you a nice car.

Unless of course you did not have the 20% down payment or the $5000 in closing costs. That is what happened to the people who bought these very same houses, with no money down and poor credit.

To save $51,600 it would take you 7 years at a rate of $142 per week or $20 per day. If for 7 years you paid that to yourself you would be able to afford the down payment.

So I think Meriden is quite affordable for the moderate income family based on my numbers. For lower incomes one would purchase a cheaper house. Remember that half the houses in Meriden cost less than $258,000.

Granted things would be tight, sure. But no one said anything about rolling in the dough. At $50,000 one must budget strictly. One needs to budget on any salary be it $35,000 or $350,000. One cannot spend more than one makes. A point made by several people when referring to the Meriden budget and the State budget.

[collie]

I was referring to low and moderate income, which describes most of Meriden. Think of it as middle class instead of moderate income. It seems I read on some other entries you've made that you want to see a "change in demographics" in Meriden. In other words, I think you support the Benigini Meriden "leadership" vision of decreasing the low to moderate income housing population and increasing higher end incomes and housing. A change in demographics, hmm... Could it be you wish to see less low and moderate income people in Meriden? How nicely predatory lending worked out for people like you and the mayor, you can weed out those with less money than you in your community. Come on, anyone in power with a brain knew how evil predatory lending was; didn't hear too may complain about it for years other than the NAACP. So the fatcats got over on the poor and middle class once again. That's the status quo, the system in America that was sanctioned; let's hope the practice is eliminated and made illegal as it obviously should have. I blame the system more than I do the people who bought homes. And I think the people who made money off them should be the ones helping them out right now, not state governments. Unless of course the state could recoup assistance from the predators further down the road, which you know they won't. I noticed Shamock was the only political contender who has figures on homes for sale and foreclosures in Meriden. I believe he mentioned 174 foreclosures in Meriden currently. Wonder if the companies who foreclosed will be paying the property taxes and how long those homes will sit in the market? The market is in a slump, dropped 360 points yesterday. Particularly the housing market. Aren't they poised to raise interest rates again and won't that again impact mortgage rates? A poor time for the City to be strongarming the Housing Authority to demolish the Mills. Don't you realize that the HA is way behind schedule on the Chamberlain Heights project, that they have financial problems. There is no Hope 6 funding for demolishing the Mills. And ha, ha, ha James Rice won his lawsuit! I attended those "hearings" at the HA when they oustered Rice; what a travesty that was and I am so glad he won. I really suspect leadership and people like you just want to demolish the Mills to "change demographics." Someone was quoted in the paper as saying give them all Section 8 and tear it down. There's not enough Section 8 to accomodate them staying in Meriden; there are waiting lists all over the state. I think the property is wanted for economic development and that's the bottom line. Of course, political leadership will hide behind "wanting a better quality of life for tenants." This is the same leadership, like you, that doesn't have a problem with Patsy Papandrea's "proud to be white" email and also doesn't have a plan to relocate Mills tenants so that they remain HERE IN MERIDEN WHERE THEY LIVE LIKE THE REST OF US! So I suspect your motives, I don't think you get it at all.

[eds]

Yes I wish to change the demographics. Just remember I am a halfbreed 50% Latino and 50% white person. I am not a racist by any means.

We need to understand what demographics means, so according to wikipedia:


Demographics refers to selected population characteristics as used in government, marketing or opinion research, or the demographic profiles used in such research. (Note the distinction from demography, see below.) Commonly-used demographics include race, age, income, disabilities, mobility (in terms of travel time to work or number of vehicles available), educational attainment, home ownership, employment status, and even location.


Yes demographics can include race, age, income and even disabilities. These are ABSOLUTELY NOT WHAT I HAVE IN MIND. I can't make the clear enough.

What I have mind is educational attainment. Let's get people educated. Let's provide assistance in that area. That will fix the problem long term, not handouts and government cheese. That only fixes today. Its not a long term solution. People need to start making a difference in their own lives instead of waiting around for others to do it for them.

People who are educated about politics, about finances, about how to save money, and about how to become qualified homeowners can better participate in society and enjoy all the benefits therein. People who are educated earn more money and enjoy a better lifestyle. They can support themselves. That's true whether you are white or black or latino.

The Fed lowered a key interest rate again and did not raise them. If you were an educated investor in the stock market you would also understand the concepts of volatility and market correction. You would also know that a 360 point drop only represents about 3% of the total market value. When reading financial news and information one must have a complete understanding of economics and how the system works.

If one wants to make more money to afford more, one needs to go to college, earn a degree and find a better paying job. I am all for assisting people to pay for education. A friend of mind makes about 46,000 a year and even he is realizing that's about as much as he will ever make. With inflation that will get smaller and smaller. That's the top pay an industrial mechanic can make without more education than what he has. If he wants to stay ahead of the curve he needs to move into the engineering side. So he is enrolled in college and is now working toward an engineering degree. He has a wife and a kid too.

Home ownership. Sure I want to change that. But not by artificial means. Not by making housing subsidies on the backs of the rich. You work hard and earn a house. As I have shown, affording a middle of the road house is well within the reach of a middle of the road Meridenite. That's why I stressed median. It means middle.

The market is the market. Predatory lending tactics? No one held a gun to anyone's head. What most people who are being affected by the sub-prime market saw was the dream of homeownership. They read nothing about the downside to ARMs and what 100% financing really means. Again, that comes down to education. If they were educated in the ways to buy a home, this would never have happened.

Employment status is another big problem I see and that I want to change. But in order to get a good paying job, or even a regular job, one needs to have an education. So again, my tax dollars should be funding adult education initiatives like re-training, career development, and college.

These are the demographics I refer to. Once people are educated, have good paying jobs, and own homes they can be proud of them because they can afford them. Then we will start to see society changing for the better. Those people can enjoy life, reap the benefits of their hard work, and forget having to worry about paying for things they need like food, clothing and shelter.

That is the American dream. And I want that for everyone, be they Black, White, Latino, Asian, Polynesian, Eskimo, Indian, American Indian, or anyone else.

[collie]

Well, I am glad to hear that change in demographics you seek is not related to driving low to moderate income people out of Meriden. I would agree education is key to improving quality of life in the long run.

[Marc Syrah]

Where are these two now?