Homeless Impact Fee

In government's great quest for additional revenue sources, the WayneWho staff believes that local governments, with the help of the media, are working to find ways to circumvent the forced budget tightening created by Amendment 1. One way it seems is to turn their tax hungry appetites away from the citizens, and to turn their sights on a growing population that, for the most part, have gone untaxed. Sources close to somebody that might have once known one of the commissioners have reported to the WayneWho staff that because of the incessant liberal nagging of the Orlando Sentinel about creating a better and more welcoming atmosphere for the homeless, that some sort of Homeless Impact Fee is being explored. "The homeless cost us money," noted one low level official. The basic argument of many local governments over the past several years has been that growth needs to pay for itself, and since the homeless population is growing, many in government think even this growth should pay for itself. "Not only do we have to provide funding for some commissioners' homeless pet-projects, but now we have some regional group that wants us to build a Wal-Mart like facility for them. The taxpayers just cannot afford paying for more social care facilities like this." When asked about push from the regional homeless panel on these issues, the same source replied, "The money has to come from somewhere cause the region will get the money it wants out of a community one way or another."

The references on special needs facilities for the regions growing homeless population were based on a report put out in the Orlando Sentinel this past week on the need for local communities to spend $2 million on one-stop catch all facilities for the homeless along with spending $50 million a year on services related to the homeless. As bureaucrats quickly looked for ways to lay claim to some of this money, they became excited as they realized that since the homeless population would continue to grow under the Sentinel's "attract-them-if-you-can-plan" to "combat" homelessness, the Homeless Impact fee would provide a never ending source of revenue. They also soon realized that even if you cannot attract the homeless from other areas who will pay the fee, that by adjusting tax, storm water, and fire fee structures, governments could create their own stream of homeless from their own currently dwelled residents. These realizations helped to quickly end a debate that was brewing on which Florida city was the most attractive to the homeless. Local Homeless and Undwelled Visitors Bureaus (HUVB's) quickly attacked this position stating that local governments still needed to continue to advertise to the homeless outside of our area to create a stable homeless economy and to make sure that this growth paid for itself.

The WayneWho staff is glad to see the governments are looking at other ways to fund the expensive socialistic ideas of the Orlando Sentinel crack editorial team. While we believe that the homeless who want help to get back on their feet should be helped, our communities and taxpayers should not be forced into funding fancy dwelling challenged processing centers of the type that bureaucrats love to build. Maybe the Sentinel should offer its excess profits if it believes these type of regional plans are what is needed.