Reality Check – WFH Trivia (Bill Bell and You)
Oct 26th, 2008 by RSmitty
Please remember to visit and learn at stayoutofmypocket.com. This important PDF addresses the misconception about the state’s role, as is falsely misrepresented by the blame-deflectors known as a couple of County Councilmen and their whisper posse.
Q: What has more housing inventory as of tonight, October 25, 2008, the proposed units from WFH or the total available inventory of existing homes in New Castle County at $250,000 or less?
A: The total available inventory of existing homes in New Castle County at $250,000 or less!!!
I ran a query on Patterson-Schwartz for New Castle County with a max amount of $250,000. Total number of available houses: 2,914.
Q: Why would Bill Bell be so adamant about WFH in his area without taking proactive measures to alert his very own constituency of the impending crush on existing infrastructure and on his very own, local school district, Appoquinimink School District?
A: Hmmm…this is a tough one. Maybe we should look at his finance reports in 2008 for details. Huh? Oh, no, ignore the < $30 junkets to Hooters and Wawa. They wouldn’t tell us much here.
From the 30-day PRIMARY REPORT:
So, this contributor to Bell had a direct hand in much of what is of concern. Interesting.
INTERLUDE…memories of an odd expense report.
From the General 30-Day Report:
So, we still owe you an answer. I’m going to guess here, Alex, but I will say, “What is, ‘Build With Bell?’”
I could go on, but I really don’t have the time now. As interesting as this is becoming, my priority remains family, so here I pause. If any of my other counterparts wanting to shine a light on Mr Bell care to pick this up, please do.
On a side note, while looking at Deflect-the-Blame-Bell’s finance reports, I picked up on some errors. Aside from the copious spelling errors, I found errors in the aggregate accounting. They are over different reports, but the aggregate totals carry over for the entire election cycle, not report period to report period. These errors I am about to point out don’t amount to a violation, but with more time in the day, who knows what could be found. Here are two of the errors:
From the 30-day PRIMARY REPORT:
05/21/2008 Lawrece Mergenthaler Aggregate: $200.00 Detail: $200.00
05/20/2008 Paul A. DiSabation[sic] Aggregate: $200.00 Detail: $200.00
From the General 30-Day Report:
09/28/2008 Lawrence Mergenthaler Aggregate $400.00 Detail: $400.00
09/09/2008 Paul Disabatino Aggregate $200.00 Detail: $200.00
Come on, slacker, Lawrence Mergenthaler’s aggregate should be $600 and Paul Disabatino’s aggregate should be $400. Then again, from someone who can’t attend the regular business meetings of County Council because it conflicts with his job, I’d expect such lack-of-attention to detail. You are, afterall, entitled to your Council rep job, or at least you act that way. Why aren’t you even out, actively campaigning for yourself instead of neighboring politicians (and feeding them dangerously inaccurate information)?! Are you that egotistically smug with yourself and your not-so-swell-constituent record?
RSmitty,
Excellent points. Bell could care less about his constituents. I am sure he thought we would never find out about it. I have attended the past two meetings about workforce housing and he never shows up.
Shoot, Hube. You are right. I forgot about that part. I was thinking of the two (or four) year cycles. An election basically resets that. D’OH!
Nice work, Smitty. It’s a shame this post isn’t getting the attention it deserves. I really learned a lot.
Pandora, sometimes we read a post like this and don’t feel the need to add anything; next time I’ll just say “Boo-yah!” or “Ain’t that some f*#ked up sh*t” like they do over at DelLib, just so you can keep score at home.
And so I read every single link in this post, even late at night and with weary eyes.
Still I could not ascertain just who the hell Bill Bell is and whether the poster likes or dislikes the man.
I only understand work force housing slightly in that I know there’s some misguided communistic notion that we have some sort of governmental obligation to build housing that is cheap enough for, say, a Walmart cashier to buy. As if a cashier could afford a house in Anne Arundel county Merryland or Delaware county in PA. And if, by some miracle cheap housing could be built to the salary of a Burger King cook, what on earth would keep a cheapskate like me from buying the thing?
The poster points out that there are already very many houses in Newcastle county under $250 grand which is indeed a reasonably priced house but again, could that Walmart cashier afford even this?
Further clarification appreciated but if not let not your heart be troubled. I am intrigued enough to read up more on the matter.
Cause I’m all for redistributin’ the wealth, bro.
what on earth would keep a cheapskate like me from buying the thing?
Hmmm… that set my wheels turning… I wonder if the WFH law has an anti-flipping clause? an anti-slumlord clause? or are they all just for sale to the highest bidder, no holds barred? Can I buy as many houses as John McCain?
There is probably a protection against flipping. In fact, you buy it and you can’t sell it for gains for 15 years as I understand it.
You can, however, rent the thing immediately and you can buy as many as you want. GHETTO.
NVW
[...] they are land use attornies…one having been a critical player in the WFH Ordinance (see my earlier post on Bill Bell’s report). I don’t personally blame Mrs. Walker. From everything told to me and it having played out [...]
[...] This ordinance removed all barriers for placing Workforce housing development in Appoquinimink. Bell, Powers, Clark, McClellan, Reda, Sheldion and Smiley voted in favor of the [...]