Can we just admit the Community Preservation Act in Lowell was a ploy to fund more housing and nothing else?
In Dracut they build trails, buy farms and try to keep the rural character of Dracut intact.
In Chelmsford, they do the same and value open space.
In Lowell, we use it to pack more people into a “built out” city.
Traffic is horrible. Schools are getting too expensive. There’s nowhere to park and people still use cars no matter what Dick Howe wants to happen.
You can’t get a train to Lawrence or Littleton without going to Boston first.
How does more housing help us?
If it’s low-income family housing, the cost of educating the children will outweigh any local real estate tax.
Single family homes? It’s the same.
Building small studios with no pets, one parking space and 100% market rate would help. But that’s not going to happen under Community Preservation Bait and Switch Act.
Lowell missed an opportunity to use the funds on the parcel of land next to the Rez.
I’m not sure how many parcels are left in the city, but maintaining green space rather than warehousing poor people and then having to support the impacts on infrastructure seems like a better idea.
I’m all for the restoration of the park, the windows at Cobblestones, etc. But the housing component was a bait and switch.
If people can’t afford to live here, move. As people move out, demand for housing will decrease and the prices will come down.
Unless the whole point is to make it easier for donors…I mean developers to build?
Here are some states that need workers and their unemployment rates: Problem is, you might have to actually work. Aside from Vermont, the gravy train in these states isn’t the overflowing entitlement entrée you get in MASS:
- South Dakota: 1.9%
- North Dakota: 2.5%
- Vermont: 2.6%
- Montana: 2.8%
- New Hampshire: 3.0%
Shocking Bull Shit
I broke down my electric bill.
Botton line? My bill is 35% bullshit. 11% is because of “State Initiatives.”
The biggest FU is the surcharge I pay to reimburse the electric company for paying people with solar panels!! Take a look. Something’s Gotta change.
3 responses to “The CPA Housing Tax and My Electric Bill”
Rollie’s farm
Lowell’s CPA has turned into a political slush fund, let’s just be honest about it.
Money is taken from people when they buy or sell their home and given to politically connected individuals to pay for improving their own properties… or to subsidize the profits on buildinng more low income housing (which will then be further subsidized by the state).
But then, this is the same city where councilors are considering (re)greasing the palms of the Senior Center flim-flammers who broke their word and are publicly making light of it.
Your analysis is likely mistaken on one point. People with solar panels don’t usually get paid… I get nothing.
The power company however is given a reimbursement for a portion of the electricity I don’t use. They might just use this to pay people more, it’s not that carefully monitored in my opinion.