In yesterday's Osceola News-Gazette, Osceola County School Board Member Jay Wheeler decided to weigh in on why he has decided to sell out to the Destiny interests and why the rest of our governments should as well. His letter was in response to an editorial by the Osceola News Gazette that was critical of the Destiny housing project that posed honest questions about the viability and impact of he project. While the WayneWho staff believes that everyone in this community has a right to express their opinion on any issue, falsely claiming superiority on a subject based on a title, especially 'School Board Member', only reinforces the problems that we have seen with developments like this in the past. Title throwing in an attempt shoot down opposition only shows the weakness of the project from the publics’ perspective.
First, Mr. Wheeler ignored the questions raised by the Gazette and others and opted for the standard, "its good for you because I said so" line that has dominated the discussions on growth in the community in the past. The idea that you can watch a quick power-pointless slide show and automatically become an expert in an area of economics that has proved so many wrong across our nation is about as "foolish" as saying I know the Destiny housing project is good for the community because I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. Mr. Wheeler, can you even do the simple the math on the number of jobs that would be required for the Destiny project to not only employ its new residents, but the residents of our community that are struggling to find work? 80,000 jobs? 40,000 new homes with an average of two jobs per home is just a simple guess by those of us who do have the benefit of intelligence based on titles or the whispering of special interest money in our ears. And we have heard several times that the building of homes would supposedly not start for 50 years, so how would the local construction market benefit in the near future? Is the time line a lie, or the sales pitch? We did note that Mr. Wheeler set the bar for success of the community low by comparing it to the "success" of Harmony and Celebration. Taxpayer funded bailouts of poorly constructed water infrastructure, and a magic city filled with empty store fronts are not what most of the community consider success stories.
No mater what argument for or against the project anyone can give, the inescapable fact is that we are living in a time where their are no buyers for the houses in this project. Mr. Wheeler’s argument that we need to allow a development to be built just because it can be built is just false. This county can not afford more vacant homes, even if we have water taxis to move the homeless around.
First, Mr. Wheeler ignored the questions raised by the Gazette and others and opted for the standard, "its good for you because I said so" line that has dominated the discussions on growth in the community in the past. The idea that you can watch a quick power-pointless slide show and automatically become an expert in an area of economics that has proved so many wrong across our nation is about as "foolish" as saying I know the Destiny housing project is good for the community because I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. Mr. Wheeler, can you even do the simple the math on the number of jobs that would be required for the Destiny project to not only employ its new residents, but the residents of our community that are struggling to find work? 80,000 jobs? 40,000 new homes with an average of two jobs per home is just a simple guess by those of us who do have the benefit of intelligence based on titles or the whispering of special interest money in our ears. And we have heard several times that the building of homes would supposedly not start for 50 years, so how would the local construction market benefit in the near future? Is the time line a lie, or the sales pitch? We did note that Mr. Wheeler set the bar for success of the community low by comparing it to the "success" of Harmony and Celebration. Taxpayer funded bailouts of poorly constructed water infrastructure, and a magic city filled with empty store fronts are not what most of the community consider success stories.
No mater what argument for or against the project anyone can give, the inescapable fact is that we are living in a time where their are no buyers for the houses in this project. Mr. Wheeler’s argument that we need to allow a development to be built just because it can be built is just false. This county can not afford more vacant homes, even if we have water taxis to move the homeless around.
3 comments:
Jay Wheeler wants Destiny money for his run for Congress in a few years. Congressman Jay Wheeler. Now there's an oxymoron.
People are getting use to Jay being wrong. Anyone see the signs in yards to stop him from taking away school bus drivers? Notice how he always says he's an elected leader. Someone needs to tell him to be a leader, you need followers. Repeatedly saying your right, ever louder, doesn't make you right. Jay never got the idea he is a public SERVANT.
Ok. Oct 10. Will your vacation last long?
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