MY TURN: Common sense solutions to community problems
Housing
Spokane is doing a wonderful job of repurposing buildings from commercial to residential. The Ridpath Hotel was repurposed into apartments. Also, some cities are allowing "mother-in-law" houses to be built next to existing houses. And, $350,000 is not affordable to 80% of us, nor is $1,000 rent. Why can’t we designate areas for tiny homes? Many retirees would love to downsize. Some cities have had controlled rent for decades. We are going to see people on fixed incomes forced into homelessness. Outrageous rents and home prices are now nationwide.
Investing in an Airbnb looks good if home prices are increasing, but if prices have hit the limit of what reasonable people will pay, then investing in a $500,000 Airbnb is not a great investment because it could take a hundred years to break even. The housing problem may be solved if Allstate and State Farm pull out of the California home insurance market and Farmers pulls out of Florida. No one will be able to sell their home in California if buyers can’t get insurance. Many homeowners in the Gulf states may lose insurance due to storms, floods, hurricanes and fires. And if newcomers think Idaho is safe from natural disasters, they are very wrong. Witness 1910, Ice Storm, Fire Storm, Mt. St. Helens, winters of 48-49, 68-69, 96-97 and 2008.
Traffic
It just might be your house that burns while a fire engine is stuck in traffic. We are at a point of gridlock. Do we really want to turn into L.A.? Good luck with that while your house burns, your injuries don’t get attended to, or you die waiting for an ambulance. Some of you are worried about "someone" tracking you? Nearly every business has a camera, homes have cameras, there are cameras on cars, and if you have a cellphone, you can be tracked right now. Cameras at intersections have caught many criminals. And who is this mysterious entity who wants to track you? If you drive from Hayden to Coeur d’Alene, you have probably had your picture taken at least 30 or more times right now. The traffic system that is proposed is working well in other cities.
Fear of Almost Everything
Political candidates and parties (and other control groups-you can guess who they are) deal in fear—that’s how they get donations. They convince people that "someone" is coming after their guns, their kids, their home, etc. When no one shows up, they find another fear to instill. When there is still no proof, they say it is being “hidden.” Fascism begins by demonizing a small group, taking away the rights of women, banning books and seeking to impose one religion or no religion on everyone. Examples: USSR, Nazi Germany, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Solutions exist. We simply have to agree to tolerate each other and work for the good of everyone.
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Donna Harvey is a Hayden resident.