Clovis, New Mexico has a problem – should government come in with incentives to get companies to build low-cost housing or should it be left to the free market to decide what is constructed? The voters have given their answer:
Voter defeat of an Affordable Housing Ordinance city officials say was designed to create incentives for private industry to develop housing for low-income residents doesn’t mean housing won’t be built, according to opponents of the measure.
Semi-retired banker Darrel Nance said if government gets out of the way and the demand exists, private industry will develop.
“If they need a government incentive to go in there, they don’t need to go in there at all,” he said.
I can understand that. Let demand, demand and let supply, supply. Unfortunately, Darrel Nance had to go further and completely ruin it:
Nance pointed to Roswell as an example of a New Mexico community that progressed independent of the military after losing its Air Force base about 50 years ago.
“I don’t want to throw cold water on Clovis, but drive to Roswell (and) look at Main Street. There are no vacant store fronts… Clovis’ downtown looks like Beirut, downtown Roswell is a viable commercial (environment). We have to get off this government dependence cycle.”
Here we go again. Thanks to @de_cachondeo, here’s what Beirut store fronts look like. One “Looks Like Beirut” certificate coming up.
Beirut Shops - Taken from http://scenesfrombeirut.tumblr.com/page/4