Crocodile tears for hire on housing crisis
My Word by Richard Salzman
Article Launched: 05/27/2007 04:26:22 AM PDT
How often is the Times-Standard going to subject its readers to the repeated rants of Sacramento's professional spin doctor, Kay Backer? Her suggestion (”Housing crisis needs to be addressed,” May 16) that the city and county is somehow at a fault for defending itself whenever her billionaire boss decides to file a lawsuit is as absurd as the suggestion that the developers and land speculators she works for would actually want real estate prices to do go down (never mind that local housing prices are linked to prices statewide, so that no increase in local inventory will lower prices).
Since she insists on repeating her worn-out arguments, please let me remind your readers that Kay Backer is hired by local developers to badger county government and bamboozle the public. She feigns concern for our families by shedding crocodile tears about so-called affordable housing here in Humboldt County.
It's ridiculous that she is even treated as a legitimate voice in our local affairs just because Rob Arkley and HELP summon her to town for a meeting or to send off an e-mail full of accusations and threats to the media. She represents nothing other than a handful of developers.
It's absurd that those who pay her (they call themselves HELP but really should be called HELP Yourself) are implying that the reason they want to build more houses is because they want to see home values drop. When has any developer ever wanted to see any housing prices drop? Do you want to see the value of your home decline?
In the Sacramento area, where Ms. Backer lives, homes are being built at an astounding rate. Strangely enough, housing prices there are still shooting up and now routinely cost over half a million dollars. Is that what Ms. Backer's backers have in mind as affordable housing?
Now Arkley is using his money -- and another front group called Humboldt Sunshine -- to sue the county because our planning officials won't buy into HELP's fabricated projections of housing needs. Isn't that called blackmail?
I have no objection to developers making money off constructing houses. But it's an outrage to be told that the reason they want permission to build more -- and forever change the essentially rural character of Humboldt County-- has anything to do with stopping people from moving out of town, lowering home prices or anything other than their search for higher profits.
Where will Kay Backer's concern for our community be the day after her paychecks stop coming in? Will she still be shouting HELP or just go on to her next lucrative public relations campaign?
Richard Salzman lives in Sunny Brae, where he represents commercial artists, works as a freelance political consultant and gives of his time as a general rabbl -rouser. He can be reached at www.richardsalzman.com.
Opinions expressed in My Word pieces do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.
HELP is of no help to Humboldt
My Word by Richard Salzman
Article Launched: 04/13/2006 04:27:25 AM PDT
In response to Kay Backer's My Word of March 22, “Getting Humboldt leaders to lead”: Kay Backer is a paid professional spin doctor from Sacramento. Hired by local developers, she is paid to badger county government and bamboozle the public. She feigns concern for our families by shedding crocodile tears about so-called affordable housing here in Humboldt County.
It's ridiculous that Kay Backer is even treated as a legitimate voice in our local affairs just because Rob Arkley and HELP summon her to town for a meeting, or to send off an e-mail full of accusations and threats to the media. She represents nothing other than a handful of developers. Are there even five people who will admit to being a member of HELP?
It's absurd that those who pay her (they call themselves HELP but really should be called HELP-Yourself) are implying that the reason they want to build more houses is because they want to see home values drop. When has any developer ever wanted to see any housing prices drop? Do you want to see the value of your home decline?
In the Sacramento area, where Ms. Backer lives, homes are being built at an astounding rate. Strangely enough, housing prices there are still shooting up and now routinely cost about half a million dollars. Is that what Ms. Backer's backers have in mind as “affordable” housing?
Now Rob Arkley is threatening to use his money to sue the county unless planning officials buy into HELP's fabricated projections of housing needs. Isn't that called blackmail?
I have no objection to developers making money off constructing houses. But it's an outrage to be told that the reason they want permission to build more -- and forever change the essentially rural character of Humboldt County -- has anything to do with stopping people from moving out of town, lowering home prices or anything other than their search for higher profits.
Where will Kay Backer's concern for our community be the day after her paychecks stop coming in? Will she still be shouting HELP or just go on to her next lucrative public relations campaign?
Richard Salzman, who represents commercial illustrators, has also been involved in local politics and quality-of-life issues. He lives in Trinidad.
The opinions expressed in My Word pieces do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.
Discussion at:
watchpaul - Hysterical! (with links)
Fred's Humboldt Blog - Shut her up?
Eric's SoHum Parlance - Time for a Salzman come back?
And, there was a response to Salzman's My Word:
Shining a light on the need for housing, jobs
Author: My Word By Jim Furtado
Publication: Times-Standard (Eureka, CA) Date: April 29, 2006
I take offense to Richard Salzman's My Word of April 13, “HELP is of no help to Humboldt.”
I am a member of HELP and a developer who started back when one could start a home-building business with not much capital and building lots were readily available.
My first experiences with construction were extremely fulfilling because it was possible to provide a nice new home to local people with a typical Humboldt County job. Mr. Salzman... It is available on The Times-Standard archives
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