Dori: Not a coincidence that Seattle has almost as many renters as homeowners
Jan 7, 2020, 3:51 PM
Upzoning in Seattle could mean the end of Seattle's traditional single-family home neighborhoods. (File photo)
(File photo)
The Seattle Times has a story stating that for the first time since the 1940s, the number of renters in Seattle is even with the number of homeowners.
I know what my critics are already thinking. “What’s the big deal about that? What could Monson have to rant about?”
I have been telling you for years that this is the trend-line, and it is for specific reasons. We have been destroying much of the fabric of this city by tearing down single-family homes and upzoning. We have torn down beautiful classic houses with yards and allowed developers — developers with connections to City Hall — to build high-rises in their place. We have taken away personal property rights.
Why? If you’re a renter, you do not own that property. And there is nothing more fundamental to a free society than private property rights.
Dori: Upzoning is a Socialist plan to take away private property in Seattle
Additionally, renters do not see property tax bills. They pay for it with their monthly rent increases, but they don’t see the bills. And so if you are a renter, you are much more likely to vote for property tax increases than a property owner is.
That is why, for years and years, Seattle has moved toward this model. Let’s eliminate single-family homes. Let’s try to get everybody into these communal-space apartments. Let’s get rid of private property owners as much as possible, so that we will have more people likely to vote for tax increases.
I’ve been to Europe many times, and I enjoy the history of its cities. But while I am very glad to have gone there and to have experienced the history and culture, I for the most part find European cities to be unbelievably depressing. There are no single-family homes in the city. If you want to go outside, you’ve got to be in a communal space, surrounded by a lot of other people. It’s all about collectivism instead of individualism. As you probably know, I’m not big into collectivism. I’m a pretty fierce individualist, and I’m good at running my own life. I like having some solitude. I like mowing my own lawn.
In the Puget Sound area, European cities are the dream of our politicians. You see, most European cities are socialist to some extent. A socialist city of renters and very little private property is the dream for our future.
And so, when you see that Seattle has as many renters as homeowners for the first time in decades, make no mistake that this is by design. We’re just going for collectivism.
Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from 12-3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
