Re: FOP board member Justin Porter answers voter concerns here
Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 4:39 pm
Quote from FOP website.
"What about our housing issues, will this impact affordable housing?
We are concerned about affordable housing too. Unfortunately, housing affordability is a market driven, societal issue that persists, regardless of a new local tax. This project benefits our low income families by providing a safe and affordable place to recreate year round - specifically because it relies on all of us from varying incomes and property values to chip in. In terms of housing, we have a very committed group of citizens looking at housing solutions and we applaud those efforts. We’ve considered adding dormitories, or manager housing to the center - and those options still exist. Opportunities to collaborate and work together to face our collective challenges abound. It’s not a zero sum game, an all or nothing solution. It’s an everything solution and an everyone solution.
If voters opt to not fund the Aquatics Center, our housing challenges will not be solved. If we do build a publicly supported Aquatics Center, our low and medium income families will have an affordable alternative to otherwise costly recreational activities, allowing any flexible income to be expended on other needs, including housing." end quote
That answer seems to be a lot of gobbly goop. I'm low income, so how does them taking my money benefit me exactly? I'm left with less money to do the recreational activities that I actually enjoy and most benefit my health and well-being . Those activities are free once the sports gear like skis or hiking boots are purchased. So they take my tax money, now I can't buy new shoes? That just doesn't make sense.
And I swim at Patterson Lake. Again, free.
And are they actually proposing that Recreation tax dollars build a home for the pool manager and provide rooms for rent for low income folks? Is that where they want to put the "colored and low income" people as if they are the same thing. (quoted their exact racial slur words).
They have no plan except to hoodwink the taxpayers into setting up their Metropolitan Park District to do what pleases their entitled attitude.
(I apologize for the tone and if I offended anyone using their words, but their racist slur and then changing it without a very public apology really pisses me off).
The fact is, they are taking dollars away from low-income people and making it sound like they're doing us a favor. Sorry FOP, I need my all "flexible income", which I earned doing hard physical labor, for my own needs like food, energy, shelter and medical bills. We're even supporting our 4th rescue dog which enriches our lives with unconditional love.
But maybe you want my home too when I can't afford the tax burden.
"What about our housing issues, will this impact affordable housing?
We are concerned about affordable housing too. Unfortunately, housing affordability is a market driven, societal issue that persists, regardless of a new local tax. This project benefits our low income families by providing a safe and affordable place to recreate year round - specifically because it relies on all of us from varying incomes and property values to chip in. In terms of housing, we have a very committed group of citizens looking at housing solutions and we applaud those efforts. We’ve considered adding dormitories, or manager housing to the center - and those options still exist. Opportunities to collaborate and work together to face our collective challenges abound. It’s not a zero sum game, an all or nothing solution. It’s an everything solution and an everyone solution.
If voters opt to not fund the Aquatics Center, our housing challenges will not be solved. If we do build a publicly supported Aquatics Center, our low and medium income families will have an affordable alternative to otherwise costly recreational activities, allowing any flexible income to be expended on other needs, including housing." end quote
That answer seems to be a lot of gobbly goop. I'm low income, so how does them taking my money benefit me exactly? I'm left with less money to do the recreational activities that I actually enjoy and most benefit my health and well-being . Those activities are free once the sports gear like skis or hiking boots are purchased. So they take my tax money, now I can't buy new shoes? That just doesn't make sense.
And I swim at Patterson Lake. Again, free.
And are they actually proposing that Recreation tax dollars build a home for the pool manager and provide rooms for rent for low income folks? Is that where they want to put the "colored and low income" people as if they are the same thing. (quoted their exact racial slur words).
They have no plan except to hoodwink the taxpayers into setting up their Metropolitan Park District to do what pleases their entitled attitude.
(I apologize for the tone and if I offended anyone using their words, but their racist slur and then changing it without a very public apology really pisses me off).
The fact is, they are taking dollars away from low-income people and making it sound like they're doing us a favor. Sorry FOP, I need my all "flexible income", which I earned doing hard physical labor, for my own needs like food, energy, shelter and medical bills. We're even supporting our 4th rescue dog which enriches our lives with unconditional love.
But maybe you want my home too when I can't afford the tax burden.
