Phoenix leaders have accused the state government of “moving fast” and hindering the city’s efforts to address the affordable housing crisis.
When it comes to the lack of affordable housing, these “city leaders” would be better off addressing the law of supply and demand rather than throwing stones and making excuses.
Homes that would otherwise be available for full occupancy have been removed from the supply side of the housing market by being converted into short-term rental properties owned and operated in large part by out-of-state residents and businesses.
Proper remediation is not complicated: all the city needs to do is impose a significant transaction privilege tax on rental periods of less than 30 days.
That would have the dual benefit of strengthening the city’s finances and increasing Phoenix’s housing supply, not to mention taking a meaningful step to mitigate the damage that short-term rentals do to the tranquility of residential neighborhoods and to the real estate value of homes near the city. them.
Eugene D. Cohen, Phoenix
ASU needs more than an apology
I am aware that when Greg Moore stated that there was no way Arizona State University could beat Iowa State, that was his opinion.
I think now that ASU has proven they can beat Iowa State, they deserve more from you than a “sorry song.”
Gerry Dippe, Phoenix
MAGA is the real election problem
Yes, we are grateful for the tireless efforts of election workers, as former Governor Jan Brewer stated.
But she is naive when referring to this year’s election, writing, “thanks to the dedication of our election officials, voters can trust that the process was fair and transparent.”
Democrats have always believed in the integrity of our electoral process. After all, Hillary Clinton conceded to Donald Trump in 2016 as soon as the election results were known, and Al Gore conceded to George Bush in 2000 after the US Supreme Court ruled that Florida had to stop counting ballots.
There were no demonstrations. There was no insurrection at the Capitol. Kamala Harris was conceded this year for the same reason. She lost.
And in Maricopa County, County Recorder Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, conceded to Steven Richer, a Republican, in 2020 after a smooth 2020 election, just as Richer conceded to MAGA’s Justin Heap after this year’s Republican primaries and Democrat Tim Stringham conceded to Heap after November 5.
Does anyone really think our MAGA neighbors would have accepted anything less than a win this year? Even now, we hear from Republicans who want revenge on the officials who somehow “rigged” the 2020 presidential election.
I just hope that Jan Brewer is willing to write an op-ed defending election officials if and when those officials are threatened or even accused of baseless crimes after Trump comes to power.
Jane McNamara, Phoenix
Lawmakers will squander that surplus
Good news for Arizona: There will be a $660 million budget surplus, thanks to much larger-than-expected tax revenues. ‘Tis the season to be thankful, but to whom?
It’s not from Santa Claus or some inexplicable miracle. Just another success of the booming Bidenomics economy by investing in American business and the American people. Thanks, Joe.
It is doubtful that we will use this windfall to help Arizonans in need. Our newly elected, even more radicalized Legislature – despite Governor Hobbs’ objections and vetoes – will likely continue to squander it on unlimited and unregulated vouchers for private schools and more expensive tax breaks for big corporations.
Next year we can expect variations on the same theme in Washington DC.
Andrew March, Phoenix
Why I voted ‘yes’ for the Axon project
Axon’s campus proposal passed the Scottsdale City Council on a 5-2 vote. As a member of the planning commission, I also voted yes. I heard every resident, read every letter and listened to my friends shouting about ‘no more apartments’.
I don’t want any more apartments either. However, I do believe in property rights, and my long experience in planning and zoning has taught me to always ask, “If not, then what?”
If we rejected Axon, what could be built on this piece of land without any input from neighbors, and what would the city lose?
More letters: The last thing kids need is phones at school
Without supervision, the owners of the Axon land could legally build warehouses within thirty feet of the houses currently standing there. My math tells me that’s 10 meters!
Axon’s plan has the nearest building 450 feet from the nearest house. That’s 1.33 football fields.
The neighborhood street would remain and trucks would use their dedicated street to arrive and depart 24 hours a day.
Michal Joyner, Scottsdale
Technology has completely ruined music
Technology has taken the fun out of real music and made it impossible for talented artists to be successful.
Before everyone had a computer in their pocket, the only way to get their hands on the music of a favorite artist was to buy a cassette or vinyl. This made it easy for small bands to play a show and sell their demos on 50-cent cassettes.
Since then, computers have been placed all over the world, allowing anyone to listen to music without even buying it. This ultimately gives the artists a fraction of what they would have before apps like Spotify or Apple Music.
Technology hasn’t stopped there, however, as easy access to autotune and digital recording has made it easy for any untalented ‘artist’ to come up with a simple loop beat and recite a poem over it.
Wham-o. You have rap music.
Jeremy Fisher, Peoria
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix should impose a hefty sales tax on short-term rentals | Letters
