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This week's column by Barratt American CEO Michael D. Pattinson is about city fees and taxes associated with new development projects.
At first I thought Patty Boy and I were going to see eye to eye on this one but it didn't take long to realize that this man has a serious disconnect from reality.
Pattinson just can't grasp that if he comes into an old neighborhood and builds a bunch of new homes that the new people impact the area. He complains that Oceanside is helping itself to new traffic lights, well gee, why would they need those? Because everyone in the new houses drives cars.
Should all this come out of the general fund? Yes. But these developments are so big and happen so fast that if "improvements" (it's really hard to call a stoplight at the end of your street that used to be a quiet stop sign an improvement) aren't made then it leads to congestion, chaos and a lower quality of life for everyone.
In Riverside County, child care is the fourth largest industry, taking in $230 million per year. But even that is not enough to support the cost of their own facilities, supervisors say. That is why they are talking about forcing developers ---- I mean new home buyers ---- to foot the bill.
What they don't say is that excessive government fees have raised the cost of housing so much that most families need both parents working, hence the need for child care.
To hear Pattinson tell it the reason both parents have to work is because the fees are too high on new homes. Pattinson's company recently reported record revenue, $131.2 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30. This an all-time record for a fiscal quarter since the founding of the firm. All you Moms out there, are you swallowing this tripe?
Take a look at Barratt's website The gross over ornamentation of their homes is ridiculous. If Pattinson wants to cut cost on home building he could start by streamlining his projects. Construction cost are extremely high in California with labor, worker's comp. Insurance and materials. Imagine the extra hours and materials it takes to build pseudo-castles and faux shutters. Why all the widgets and gimmicks Mr. Pattinson? Do you like wasting money?
Pattinson says new homebuyers who are taxed have no say in where those taxes go. Taxation without representation? Time for another Boston Tea Party? Let's start by sending euro trash Pattinson back across the Atlantic.
Deport Pattinson! Great idea I'll call the INS.
ReplyDeletePatty is the most selfish man in the world. All his articles are about him crying that life is hard for him and his company. Now it sounds like he hates children too.
ReplyDeleteI have owned my home for 15 years so here is my question, when a newbie buys a million dollar house how much of that million is fees/taxes or are the fees on top of that million? Are the fees paid up front or included in the loan?
Mr. Pattinson is partly right, and partly wrong. We agree, the City of Encinitas should not raise fees for the state and federally mandated storm drain, clean water requirements. These costs should come out of the General Fund. Taxpayers do pay for the monies in cities' general funds. Where do you think that comes from Mr. P?
ReplyDeleteOur General Fund money should not be simply to support the salaries and benefits of burgeoning staffs, including Council perks, such as trips to Japan on the taxpayers’ dole.
The State has set up methods for developers to pass on the infrastructure costs, which San Marcos does utilize, for one. These are called Mella-Roos. Of course Encinitas does not bother with them. If you want to live here, you need big bucks; no thanks to our City who is hostile to low income or moderate income affordable housing. A few longtime homeowners here offer houses for rent at reasonable rates, although they could charge much more according to the levels set by the government.
Even these pre-existing homeowners are targeted and hassled by the City of Encinitas. They would rather get more fees, more taxes for more McMansions. They were completely willing to let agriculturally preserved land be sucked up by Caltras and Paul Ecke III, for substantial new development. And we all know, those agricultural tax rates, which have been paid since the Eckes settled here (in the 20's?) are far less than residentially zoned land. This way landowners, developers can get land to develop, pass on their costs, including the run off problems, to all of the home and business owners in Encinitas that have been paying substantially higher taxes, for years.
Please clear the clouds of greed out of your head Mr. Pattinson. We don't want new taxes imposed as fees. And we don't want new high end development, either. Proposition A should have told you that.
I get a bit sick to my stomach when I see Pattinson's smiling face on this blog, or in some newspaper. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteI just wonder if he believes his own deceptions?
Here are two quotes from Kahlil Gibran:
"How stupid is he who would patch the hatred in his eyes with the smile of his lips."
"Said a gracious wolf to a simple sheep, 'Will you not honor our house with a visit?'
And the sheep answered: 'We would have been honored to visit your house if it were not in your stomach.'"
Why does Mr. Pattinson hate America so much and when is he going home?
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to look forward to Pattinson's eds in the paper just so I can read the reaction here.
ReplyDeleteJ.P. do you really think he would pass the savings to the buyer if he got cost down? Don't be naive son.
So tired of Pattinson's mug.
ReplyDeleteLet's hurry and get on to another post!!
What else can we say about this guy, anyhow?
By the way, Council voted unanimously to have hearing in January re $5.00 monthly fee/tax mail out ballot. This should be a weighted fee. Also, those who oppose, such as Encinitas Taxpayers Assocition, instrumental in defeating A, by the way, should be allowed to pay for and insert oppositional arguments in the to be mailed ballot.
Is Dalager subdividing his property?
ReplyDeleteDalagher already divided his property and built condos? but he's got plenty of space left on his nice lot. although it does look kind of blighted
ReplyDeleteSubdivide .909 acre into 4 lots in an R-8 zone.
ReplyDeleteHey, JP. The parade happened, any protests? Lots of police protecting against protestors, on doubletime? Just wondering.
ReplyDeleteMy friend, who works for school district, was pressured to go. She couldn't, cause she has two young kids; it got too cold. Why is this parade at night, anyway, this time of year? Were there lights? How much do they cost?
How has this become a publicity stunt for Council? Or has it?
Did the little kids on the sidelines get trampled, feel shortchanged, trying to scramble for the junk candy Santa throws out?
Did anyone care that some people felt left out so others (not the innocent kids, for sure) could feel smug, self righteous?
Traditions are nice. But can we afford to become complacent? Who has time, strength to care?
Please vote no, in March, on new $5.00 monthly fee to be imposed as tax, probably again on our EDCO trash bills.
Vote out incumbents next November. Defeat of A shows we will no longer be scammed.
Editorial cartoonist Kate Salley Palmer:
ReplyDeleteWe are like the moth in Don Marquis's "The Lives and Times of Archy and Mehitabel" --trying to break into a light bulb and fry himself on the wires.
Archy the cockroach reports to Marquis that he questioned the moth's sanity, But the moth described his love for the beauty and excitement of fire. Moths know that if they get too close it will kill them, but feel that it is better to be happy for a moment than to live a long time and be bored. So they wad all their life up into one little roll and then they shoot the roll. That is what life is for, insists the moth:
"we are like like human beings
used to be before they became too civilized to enjoy themselves."
and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have half the happiness and twice
the longevity
but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself . . ."
I'll leave you [continues Ms. Palmer]with my favorite quote, from the great cartoonist Jules Feiffer:
Be warned of the good advice of others. Be warned when they tell you that your attitude is immature. Be warned against all "good" advice because "good" advice is necessarily "safe" advice, and though it will undoubtedly follow a sane pattern, it will very likely lead one into total sterility--one of the crushing problems of our times.
Yet, we cannot teach, without learning, cannot be unique, discover creative solutions, without recognizing, realizing the universal.
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