Elizabeth Hansberg, Part 2: The Housing Mafia
Hello Friends.
You are excused for not knowing a goddamn thing about SCAG – the Southern California Association of Governments. There’s a good reason for this. SCAG operates as a completely opaque government entity; it is run by public employees, for public employees with no accountability to anybody. Its reason for existence is to promote whatever the latest liberal idea de jour happens to be.
And right now, the idea de jour is housing units. Lots and lots of housing units. In fact, in SCAG’s humble opinion…er…a, I mean expert opinion, Fullerton needs 13,000 new housing units, a notion, if executed would complete the destruction of our already overburdened infrastructure and increase our current population by 33%.
The “official” leadership of SCAG is a consortium of local elected folks you wouldn’t trust to mow your lawn. The bald fact than nobody is actually elected to be on SCAG by voters is telling. The whole thing is run by public employees acting as policy makers; the puppets on the SCAG board and the general assembly are just small-time political wannabes trying to look important. Then there are the lobbyists who view the voting members in the way a hyena looks at a wildebeest carcass.
“Well, okay, Joe,” I can hear you saying. “So what?”
Here’s what: SCAG creates what is known as Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) concocted by who knows who, and that assumes the temerity to tell cities how they are deficient in their provision of housing for po’ folks.
“Well, okay, Joe,” I can hear you saying. “So what?”
Here’s what: the State of California Housing and Development Department, another bureaucratic godzilla, is becoming militant in making cities comply with some sort of plan to accommodate these idiot quotas – or else.
And although the circle hasn’t yet closed, the arc is extending: there are special-interest groups, allied with developers who are mining the opportunity to exploit the bureaucratic trend for fun and profit. The consequence that matter to you and me don’t concern them in the least.
Getting the picture? If not, you soon will.
This smacks of redevelopment funds that when Jerry Brown again elected governor of California ended with the explanation that it was misused and or misappropriated for personal profit. Redevelopment was siphoning of tax dollars from general funds and into redevelopment funds so to remove “blight” from towns and cities. However towns and cities abused their sacred trust to their constituents by labeling properties as blight and strong arming with eminent domain these same properties away from their owners. FFFF ran many articles on redevelopment funds and its effect on downtown Fullerton, not a pretty sight. The cynic in me sees opportunity for abuse with collusion between city governments and developers. I remember then Fullerton city councilperson, Sharon Quirk-Silva, wanted to use millions of tax dollars to move a McDonalds fast food restaurant a few feet away from Fullerton Union High School so to promote better nutritional choices in high school students. This outrageous plan would have occurred except for media attention brought to Quirk-Silva’s folly or flimsy excuse. Hansberg/SCAG alliance to supply affordable housing stinks like blight removal of earlier days. An aside, blight seemed only to occur in downtown Fullerton whereas decrepit strip malls in the west part of Fullerton was not seen as blight.
So far I haven’t made the Hansberg/SCAG alliance crystal clear, just insinuated. Not for much longer!
I’ve seen this woman for a couple of years lobbying at council meetings. I should have known she would promote herself up to planning commissioners.
SCAG and those others city leagues are terrible. They set policy without any decision allowed by the people.
California, you are doomed.
The scam is this: First, the foolish do-gooders fund charlatans like Hamsburg who are working as supposed “Housing Advocates”. Second, the state bureaucrats require up-zoning of properties in the name of providing “housing”. Third, the city planners set minimum density standards. Forth, they require a minimum number of “affordable” units. Fifth, property values go way down so that the “affordable” monster projects can be built by the Developers. Sixth, tax revenues go up so that the public employees can keep getting big fat pensions.
Yep! Don’t fall for it! I have lived and raised my children here. My ex-husband has the home. I took less so he could for our children. I worked hard, was a volunteer and became disabled. So, now I am in the new “project.” That touts all sorts of assistance and I have investigated the cash flow. All I can say is the kind people funded this with a bond and land deed with very specific language. Please demand that you are getting what you pay for in such housing. This is a major issue; the “support” is non-existent. There has been six deaths and there is no excuse. When a federal judge in May of 2020 reproches our county board for stockpiling funds and people are upset because they see no change, please don’t scapegoat people who, if given a chance would be happy to work, obtain recovery, volunteer. I moved in and asked and was told “Oh, they don’t do that (volunteering) here. Well, guess what? We do now! I was told the vacant spot up-front…too expensive. Bull-pucky! That is in writing We, the clients are to be able to try work-hardening, like maybe a book/thrift store that We, run and have poetry and art classes! We WANT TO BE A PART OF NOT A PART FROM! Remember when they built that shelter on Melrose, I walked over to Crowley, then back and I asked the foreman, “Hey, did anyone happen to ask those people if they might like to work?” Nope! People rise to the level of expectation! It is a lie that makes the kind taxpayors resentful and the money NOT where they are told it is going! DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE WE APPROVE ANYTHING ELSE!
It is important to refrain from spreading rumors or making unfounded claims without verifiable evidence.
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