[Vision2020] Say What? Discrimination

Mon Sep 17 19:57:07 PDT 2007

Tom Ivie,

  Lowering the number of occupants per housing unit by law increases demand for more apartments and housing units, driving the cost up. With rents up even more, renters are further soaked again by limiting the number of people they can split rent with. 

  Moscow is a college town. Students cannot afford much more that $300 piece for rent. IF Moscow raises its rents, the number of students returning to UI will reduce because they cannot afford to live in the city with no jobs and unaffordable housing. Many of them will elect elsewhere to attend like BSU, Albertson, NNU, ISU, LCSC or the new junior college in Nampa. But this is a good move for the socialists agenda of destroying the Moscow economy through relentless unneeded government regulation. 

  Best,

  Donovan

Tom Ivie <the_ivies3 at yahoo.com> wrote:
  Doesn't it include a CUP process?  As I understand it, and I could be wrong, lowering the number brings Moscow more in-line with the codified number that the majority of cities our size use.  

Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:     "These three people [(Pall, Ament and Lamar)] feel that counting unrelated people in a
dwelling will solve noise and parking problems in residential
neighborhoods."

  Mr. Busch is correct on this point. I think counting the number of unrelated people is discriminatory. When I worked at Inclusion North there were often several people with disabilities living in one home because they cannot afford their own place on a $660 a month SSI check, especially in a city like Moscow. There are many poor, disabled, and elderly people that MUST live together in one dwelling for economic survival. This code is a raw deal for those that are in need of affordable housing. Another example of elitist socialists trying to make everyone live like them regardless of their financial situations. The City Council members are saying, "Let them eat cake", or in this case, let them live in an apartment with only two people if they can only afford to live in an apartment with four others. 

  And on the other side of the coin, a family of two adults with two teenagers can be very noisy and make life for their neighbors intolerable. Why not limit how many teenagers can live in one household, or how many babies a single mom can have? It would be just as unfair. 

  An unjust law, clearly invented by people living in nice homes with secure incomes. I hope the newly elected city council will reverse this piece of discrimination. 

  If Moscow would allow for the building of affordable housing for what people actually earn in Moscow we would not have 5 students or 5 people on SSI living in one housing unit. And BTW, Moscow has more people per housing unit then any other city in the state according the BLS. 

  Best,

  Donovan

Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
  In a letter to the editor of the Lewiston Tribune, published today
(September 16, 2007), Steve Busch suggests that "enforcing existing law
[Moscow Zoning Code] is all that is necessary."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Comments made in a letter to the editor authored by local attorney Jack
Porter and published in the Sept. 12 Lewiston Tribune cannot be ignored. On
Sept. 4, the current city council voted 3-2 to change Moscow's city code in
an attempt to deal with a real problem. 

Unfortunately, the majority (Pall, Ament and Lamar) threw the baby out with
the bath water. These three people feel that counting unrelated people in a
dwelling will solve noise and parking problems in residential neighborhoods.

The Greater Moscow Alliance feel enforcing existing law is all that is
necessary. We said so in a letter presented to the council on Sept. 10 (to
see a copy visit www.greatermoscow.org). Mr. Porter thinks this is evidence
the GMA is insensitive to Moscow citizens' cherished life style. Nothing
could be further from the truth. GMA is working hard to educate the public
about issues and candidates. 

I urge all Moscow voters to ask candidates for city council tough questions.
Listen carefully to the answers and vote your conscience.

Steve Busch
President
Greater Moscow Alliance
Moscow

-----------------------------------------------------------

Questions, Mr. Busch: How often, and how selective, should enforcement of
zoning codes be enforced? Instead of amending the current code ad nauseam
and allowing for conditional use permits every time somebody violates
"existing law", should we draw the proverbial line in the sand, much like
the Raven, strongly proclaim "Ne'er more", and further demand that those
entities that are currently in violation of the zoning code move elsewhere?

Reminder, folks!
http://tinyurl.com/36ghxk

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)

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