Arrr! Seattle scallywags be raisin' the tax booty to fund their left-wing follies, and be flabbergasted when calamity strikes!
2023-11-17
Arr, be ye lookin' at Seattle, a scurvy example of what's amiss with the Democrat-run havens. The landlubbers voted aye to burdensome taxes, all for their precious leftist policies. Now they be scratchin' their heads wonderin' why things be gettin' worse. Aye, ye reap what ye sow!
Seattle residents have voted once again to raise the cost of housing in an attempt to lower housing costs. This paradoxical decision reflects the prevalent liberal ethos in the city, where any proposal presented as progressive is enthusiastically endorsed. An example of this is the Seattle Housing Levy, a massive program that aims to construct affordable housing. However, rather than simply extending an existing tax, the levy more than tripled the tax rate. Predictably, the levy passed with overwhelming support, despite committing to a mere 3,200 new rental home constructions.While the levy does contribute to the construction of affordable housing, it also increases the overall cost of housing. Homeowners will see their property tax bills rise significantly, and tenants will face increased rents. Furthermore, the levy allocates a substantial amount of funds for rental assistance, but the administrative costs to implement it are twice as high. This is happening in a city where the median house price has soared to $800,000, and where there has been a surge in fatal overdoses and homicides.
This situation mirrors the trajectory of other Democrat-run cities, where extreme leftist policies have led to deteriorating conditions and high costs of living. The progressive conviction that housing is a human right is used to justify heavy governmental interference in the housing market. Despite evidence that increased regulations and taxes have driven up costs, the left continues to demand higher taxes without acknowledging that people are already contributing more than their fair share.
Landlords, often wrongly perceived as affluent, are struggling to make a living while providing affordable housing. They face a system that disproportionately favors tenants and are burdened by numerous laws that have made their job nearly impossible. As a result, many landlords are pulling their properties from the market, further inflating rental costs.
The Democratic response to the housing crisis is to pour tax dollars into affordable housing, but this approach fails to address the underlying issues. Additionally, the wealthy are leaving the state due to high taxes, as exemplified by Jeff Bezos relocating to Miami. Democrats in Washington have implemented a statewide capital gains tax and are considering a wealth tax, further driving successful individuals away.
Democrats believe that high housing costs and the homelessness crisis are caused by housing developers and landlords, whom they view as wealthy and greedy. However, punitive regulations and increased government intervention have not made the housing market more accessible. In fact, the situation continues to worsen. Perhaps if they stopped interfering and allowed the market to operate more freely, there would be housing for everyone. But for now, Seattle voters seem determined to obstruct progress with more taxes.