ANC2C02 Forum

This "discussion" was a waste of time. Instead of focussing on results and progress and solutions to problems the movie and following remarks just served as a means for people to vent very debatable issues. Yes, there are disparities in wealth among whites and blacks – and among blacks and blacks — in Washington, both newcomers and old comers. Taxes have risen for everyone (not just those at lower economic levels). Yes, the "government" (Our black mayor Adrian Fenty, and his black predecessors, very integrated agency heads and city council members) have failed to live up to their promises — even those made in the past year.

People like having good neighbors. The notion that folks want to push out people just because they are of a certain class or race is a distortion and sickeningly xenophobic. One person suggested that because some neighbors have suggested that the empty lot that is Parcel 42 have a diverse array of income levels, that somehow that meant that neighbors don't want "any" lower income residents in the building. That was just untrue.

The ONEDC Director is a great guy, but he could easily have made this a forum focused on solutions and results, moving things forward, holding government officials accountable for their empty words, not a "discussion" mired in frustrations over the injustices of the past inappropriately transferred to present realities.

We have leaders who want to be re-elected this year, if they do not live up to their own promises, it's time for something new, that holds for Mr Fenty, Mr Evans, Mr Brown on down to the ANC level. Even if they stay in office, folks should use their votes to send a message that electeds should not get too comfortable.

The ice cream form Maggie Moo's Ice Cream was delicious nonetheless.

The marginal value of the dollar that one makes has a greater impact on those lacking disposable income than those with the "luxury" to save and invest. That is to say, increased taxes affect a lower income-level class of people's means to simply "get by" while affecting a higher income-level class of people's opportunity to save and invest disposable income.

The real problem with affordable housing in DC proper is using 5 of the richest 10 counties in the US as part of the 11 county calculation that defines "affordable housing" used in District development.

The affordable housing units proposed at Parcel 42 are priced for annual incomes nearly 20,000 greater than the neighboring median income nearest the parcel (i.e. 60% area median income or 57K versus the 38K neighborhood median income for households 0-0.5mi from 8th & P St NW).

One should be more concerned with the term "affordable housing" than what capitalism dictates the market can bear and what developers build. More directly, don't call it "affordable housing" when it is "market rate" housing.