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Why should property tax payers of a town subsidize people who don't even live in your town? There is no right to an affordable apartment/home in a place you don

Why should property tax payers of a town subsidize people who don't even live in your town? There is no right to an affordable apartment/home in a place you don't live. Local governments should focus on being small and efficient, not inviting cost to the current property tax payers. And I do believe you have control over how your town is shaped. You can shape zoning and ordinance laws to prevent certain types of projects - whether it be fast food, drive-thrus, strip clubs, or dispensaries. Housing developers are trying to make money, and if you make it difficult to make a profit, they won't build.

ecshafer 3y ago
Wouldn’t removing zoning make the local government smaller and more efficient? While also allowing the free market to take effect, and also decrease the tax burden on residents by adding new ones? You are arguing two completely unrelated topics as if they are connected: zoning and welfare.
softwaredoug 3y ago
I would say they're not doing it so much for the new residents, but the current residents. It truly is about the character of your town. If your current residents wants to hire a teacher, firefighter, restaurant worker, etc that person may need to move in from out of town. So you can decide how / where people live through zoning. You also decide how easy/hard it is for people to live in your town, and thus how much goods and services costs. It's entirely in your hand... I just think most people focus on one aspect (buildings near them) and don't think about other tradeoffs (all the consequences of how/where people your town 'hires' could live as the economy grows). It's complicated and the whole point is you get to work with your zoning board to make those decisions informed by the data and needs of the town.
yunwal 3y ago
Once every homeowner in your town is retired, how do you think this is going to end for you?
- Eumenes 3y ago
  Retired people still pay property taxes on their homes.
  - buttercraft 3y ago
    Who does the labor then?

ecshafer 3y ago

Wouldn’t removing zoning make the local government smaller and more efficient? While also allowing the free market to take effect, and also decrease the tax burden on residents by adding new ones? You are arguing two completely unrelated topics as if they are connected: zoning and welfare.

softwaredoug 3y ago

I would say they're not doing it so much for the new residents, but the current residents. It truly is about the character of your town. If your current residents wants to hire a teacher, firefighter, restaurant worker, etc that person may need to move in from out of town. So you can decide how / where people live through zoning. You also decide how easy/hard it is for people to live in your town, and thus how much goods and services costs. It's entirely in your hand... I just think most people focus on one aspect (buildings near them) and don't think about other tradeoffs (all the consequences of how/where people your town 'hires' could live as the economy grows). It's complicated and the whole point is you get to work with your zoning board to make those decisions informed by the data and needs of the town.

yunwal 3y ago

Once every homeowner in your town is retired, how do you think this is going to end for you?

Eumenes 3y ago
Retired people still pay property taxes on their homes.
- buttercraft 3y ago
  Who does the labor then?