By Angela Bailus
This site’s editor’s Sept. 21 article, “At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got ours, Screw the Rest” is absolutely the nastiest article I have read here yet. My jaw dropped several times.
I’m always writing about how the right went off the rails (well, the MAGAs did), but now it’s the left who are off the rails. The left, who are always crying how unfair things are, and think of themselves as the champions of those who are discriminated against, have one agreed upon group they can discriminate against: seniors. You know, those of us who “contribute least,” as Pierre Tristam stated. The Trumplicans know this, and are more than happy to feed the Democrats this baloney.
Well, my left friends (I’m Independent), go to any place where there are volunteers and see who they are: seniors. They have the time, and are not always on the golf course, as some fantasize. Go to your favorite restaurants and count the number of seniors patronizing the establishment. Try out some Christian thrift stores and see who is stocking the place and manning the registers. Think of all the seniors here paying taxes for public schools, and now private schools, for your kids’ education, and your grand-kids’ education, and who have been doing so for many, many years whether they had kids or not. Some of your seniors are still working. Some because they have to, and some because they want to. Many seniors donate their time or their money to help others.
You blame us seniors for supply and demand. Seniors are blamed for coming down here, selling their more expensive homes up north, and buying cheaper homes down here with cash. That was actually target marketing. Talk to your Chamber of Commerce and your real estate people.
Yeah, we least-contributing seniors danced across rainbows all our lives, while manna rained down from heaven upon us. We scooped it up and shut the door behind us, in hopes of screwing our children and grandchildren out of any decent living. We planned that from a young age while riding our unicorns through life.
Now that I got that behind me, there is no housing crisis. Have you been out to U.S. 1 lately? Have you been reading the articles here? There is an affordability crisis. For that, you can look to the developers and your commissions and mayor. Developers convince your fearless leaders that they cannot make any money unless they cram in as many houses on a property as possible. They convince commissioners to change zoning frequently, for profit. Giant corporate vacation rental companies pushed for individuals and businesses, from out of state,out of county to invest here, breaking up the communities and taking over affordable houses, making them commercial units in single-family zoned neighborhoods. Again, talk to your commissioners.
I have written before how other communities have built subdivisions with high income units, medium income units and low income units within. The catch was that the people who bought in had to live there for three to five years to avoid flipping these units. Other subdivisions used a lottery system. Subdivisions can be built with high, low and middle income properties, but if low income properties are improperly planned, or grouped like project homes, who wants that next to them? If properly planned, these subdivisions can be lovely and benefit all.
I’m not buying the dog whistle stuff about housing, either. That’s going too far. Rich, famous, white, male Donald Trump was not wanted in Palm Beach. They fought him for years. Do you assume all Black and brown people are poor? That they all need white help? Sure, there’s certainly not a lot of Black people here, same with St. Augustine, but I don’t think it’s because of dog whistles.
I do wonder why people who think there is not enough here, move here. Jacksonville is just an hour away, and there is plenty of housing and jobs. Oh, about jobs, there are plenty of jobs. Electricians cannot find help. Plumbers cannot find help. Those are high paying jobs. While walking through Lowe’s recently, jobs and career openings were announced over the speakers. What’s the problem with the jobs, not good enough?
Homestead exemption benefits all who own a home. Not a privileged, entitled few to use as a tax shelter. It was created after the Civil War to help people ease back into home ownership. Homestead exemption was added to the Florida Constitution in 1933. It requires permanent ownership, and occupation, to register for this benefit of some relief of taxation.
As landlords, we have to pay $5,500 in taxes annually for a little two bedroom, one bath house, which is not homesteaded, and has the 10 percent cap on tax increases, not the 3 percent cap for homesteaders. As landlords, we mow the lawn, and trim the bushes and trees. We replace the washing machine. We fix the roof, We make repairs frequently. We pay the ever growing insurance. We keep the place nice. We prepare it for hurricanes and clean up after. Some people here think this is greed. Should we not pass that on, or should we lose money?
The other thing to consider is gentrification. Low-income folks have been living here in the Hammock for decades. Now, new people come in and want to push them out. They crudely criticize the locals. When we moved here, we were okay with the locals, most of them anyway. You know, we retirees. It was very much like a small town, and the folks here got along just fine without the massive influx of strangers. Do you think taxes will go down with more population? If so, you’re in for a big disappointment.
More buildings will not solve the problem. That has never been the answer. It’s not the retirees, who you think contribute least. When you say that, you have no understanding of Florida. You also offend a large chunk of your readers. I hope to be around when you retire and see what your attitude is then.
Angela Bailus is a resident of Hernandez Avenue in the Hammock. See her previous column, “We Bought a Home in the Hammock. Vacation Rentals Are Turning Our Street Into a Commercial Strip.”
Big Mike says
This fault lies between the builders and city council members not us seniors. Builders want to cram in as much housing as they can for large profits by getting the council to approve to double the limits for some sort of favorable exchange. Once done these developers leave our area with the overpopulated and traffic congested mess! The city council better stop and think what road they are taking our city to. Not far away we will becoming more of a metropolitan area which us seniors would hate to see!!
Robin says
I agree with many points that the columnist makes. There are strong studies that show making developers include a certain percentage of units offered at below market rates. Integration of residents based on income works.
I am always surprised at how few people show up at the County’s TRC , Planning Board meetings, and the BOCC workshops and meetings. Then people complain about the results.
I urge people to show up, listen, learn, and bring their popcorn!
Margo says
Not sure what the big hurry is to get Palm Coast as big as Jacksonville and Daytona. Does everybody like Jacksonville and Daytona Orlando? Palm Coast will be no different soon!
Dennis C Rathsam says
Senior are, and always be the backbone of P/C!! After all they lied to us touting P/C as a retirement comunity!!! Liar, lair pants on FIRE!!! Disfunction at its finest, the land of lost dreams & broken promises.
Ray W. says
I am not disagreeing with your many good points, with perhaps the one comment about how you might have overreacted by calling his the “nastiest” of all of the articles you have read on this site. But I think it necessary to focus on Mr. Tristam’s qualifying restriction: “rich” seniors. His qualifying restriction narrows (perhaps greatly narrows) the scope of his article. He simply did not include all seniors into his article.
I am not even arguing that Mr. Tristam is right in all of his points. I am just saying that two people can be right, or wrong, at the same time, just as one person can be right and wrong at the same time.
As an aside, one facet of President Truman’s 1948 reelection effort was to dub the Republican-controlled House and Senate the “Do-Nothing” Congress. One of Truman’s complaints centered on his perception that the opposition Congress refused to pass legislation he had proposed to create greater numbers of affordable houses for the millions of American soldiers, sailors and Marines who had returned to a post-war America only to find a paucity of available affordable housing.
Elizabeth says
Your rebuttal was well done. I should like to add that the retirement home that I built in a gated community was paid for by my having worked continuously for 48 years. There was no generational wealth, no handouts, just student loans which I repaid, on time, in full. The child who wrote the column would be well served to understand all facets of a problem before he declares that he has solved it.
JC says
If you call the owner of the site a child, maybe stop coming on Flagler Live and post your comments on a “child” site. It is nice outside, get away from the keyboard.
DwFerg says
Interesting read and opinion…Not one often published here…
Angela says
DwFerg: Well, Pierre embraced my article “nastiest” and all. Gotta give credit where credit is deserved. I am happy that Flagler Live is here, and open to opinions that may not be their own.
Skibum says
I agree. As I said in the previous article, it is the developers who share a large part of the problem, NOT the seniors who live here. Land developers have a powerful lobby in Tallahassee, but development within a local jurisdiction CAN and SHOULD be managed by the elected officials with proper and effective long-term vision and oversight of both residential and business development that will benefit the citizens who live and visit as well as business owners and employees. If you don’t effectively and efficiently manage development and growth, you can be sure that money hungry developers with dollar signs in their eyes will manage you – to THEIR benefit, and often to the detriment of a community’s quality of living.
Endless Dark money says
where yall been? profits for the investors far outweight the needs of people.
jeffery c. seib says
This ‘rebuttal’ article by Ms. Bailus was very well written and presented many truisms. Any blame for the current mess we are in regarding out-of-control growth and exorbitant housing prices shouldn’t be on any one sociological group. I would place it squarely on the county commissioners and city council folks for allowing the developers to essentially go ‘hog wild’ with one project after another here. People complain but will they, when given the choice, pick candidates for commissioners and council members that would essentially paint a different picture of the way Flagler County and the cities would grow. A picture more in line with what we all could be proud of and feel good about the appearance and the substance of our home. Let us see…
Pissed in PC says
I totally agree with the author of this. I moved here to care for my aging, sick mom while also trying to hold a full time job that paid very little. I took over my mom’s cable bill because I transferred my satellite when I moved. She loved having the extra channels. When she passed I could have easily sold the house and went back to Georgia but without a job to go to I couldn’t get a home loan. I tried to survive on meager wages, by the time I found a decent job my body was giving out from from being rear ended not once but twice here. Back surgery twice didn’t fix it. I ended up on disability and was back in the same situation couldn’t afford living here. But I contributed by shopping local, paying my taxes, Medicare covered my doctors.
The former mayor Netts clearly stated that this was a bedroom community and industry wasn’t welcomed or planned as he stated if you want a job drive to St. Augustine, Jacksonville or Orlando. Affordable housing wasn’t considered for the workers of low wage jobs that provide goods and services for the seniors. The city councils and county commissioners have criticized housing for the workforce, landlords didn’t care as long as they could get whoever could live in their overpriced rentals sometimes it was just several roommates to a house or large families with several working members, their senior parents and kids. Not everyone could afford a vehicle to transport them out of the county to work.
Just keep voting in those republicans that sit in their higher paid commission and council jobs as they’re all developers, realtors or lawyers who just want to keep cramming in houses and many are McMansions while ignoring the fact that decent work force housing is ignored. All those houses that’s priced at 350k and up are sitting on the market much longer but commercials are running in those northern states to lure more retirees to move here.
Meanwhile I’m leaving on Saturday as I decided a tiny home community was perfect for this disabled senior (is 59 really senior) that has more amenities and my $1300 yearly HOA fee will pay for my water, sewer, internet, trash, indoor/outdoor pools, mini golf, 50 ac stocked lake with paddle boats, Friday night bingo, planned community functions, game room, diner, church, country store and activities galore within 10 miles. Oh and affordable homeowners and car insurance. Adios Flagler County!
The dude says
I have many problems with boomers and the ongoing problems they cause in the world.
Being part of the free markets is not one of them.
This area is growing exactly as planned.
Problem is all this growth is planned around one central group (retirees) which makes it unsustainable.
This “growth” will collapse under its own weight eventually. It’s starting to now in the form of higher taxes with fewer services every year.
Celia M Pugliese says
In many points the writer is correct. We, now two seniors that moved to Palm Coast 33 years ago, brought our businesses along and provided few jobs for locals for over 25 years, kept our savings in the bank contributing to the local banks industry and bought homes (paid up by now), cars, furniture, appliances lawn equipment, food, clothing and also paying dental and medical professionals for our care after settling in Palm Coast. We still most of that at over 80 years old. Regarding our homestead, we earned it after 33 years home ownership seniority and please do not try to shame anyone that claims it. We work very hard and saved and invested wisely to pay off our current homes, cars and anything else already paid off. We do not play golf but sure enjoy to see those having fun in the beautiful golf course! Good for them! Sold the paid boat ( at 78) but sure smile about the young ones enjoying theirs! Live it up while you can! We still do a lot of volunteer work and help our friends and neighbors when needed. Also is not our fault or our homesteaded exceptions, why more “really” affordable housing not available in Flagler County specially should be around Town Center were those young service jobs starters have all the shops. medical and other services at walking distance. I have always agreed for affordable apartments to be built there, but looks like developers even when using the “affordable housing benefits” in the construction specs presented for approval, once finished their rates are still unaffordable… Then is not the county or its cities residents (rightfully homesteaded) fault! So please do not fault seniors of Flagler County what is actually the developers and elected officials and administrators fault! Seniors are some of the greatest contributors to the economy of this county and most of them volunteer in any of the community needs! Also as such we still have our First Amendment and the right to a civilized request or complain if needed too.