In continuing coverage of the destitution of America, we read of Buncombe County residents having neither food nor shelter. Fortunately, however, we have schools that are coming to the rescue. Instead of teaching kids how to fish, they are in the business of providing the fishies. You already know about the feeding programs for the childstock. Here are a couple (1, 2) posts on the phenom today.
Also in the news today, we learn about housing teachers. As you will recall, the schools were very, very poor as they begged for money for children and classrooms during county budget talks. Now, they are so poor, they have to work with the county to provide subsidized housing for their teachers. What the evil state legislature withheld in salaries must now be made up with charitable contributions from Eblen Charities and the State Employees Credit Union. The two organizations will partner with the Buncombe County Schools and Buncombe County government to build apartments on county land with an interest-free loan to be paid back with future rent incomes.
I’m not knocking the poor. The next time rents go up, I will probably be out on the streets. I only ask that leaders examine the role government has played in creating scarcity in the local affordable housing market. I would prefer housing to be left in the hands of the private sector, which is as mistrustful of government’s real estate business as government is of ours.
