OrlandoSentinel.com

Letters to the Editor

October 12, 2009

Last thing Florida needs is more homes

I was stunned as I read Brandon Biederman's My Word column Thursday ("Homebuilding key to better economy") on the need for more homebuilding to right the wobbly economy.

While it is true that an increase in construction would add jobs to the economy, let us not forget what got us into trouble in the first place: too much housing and too few qualified buyers. There is a serious excess of inventory in Florida and certain to be more on the horizon as those struggling to pay their mortgages begin to fall into the foreclosure abyss.

I don't pretend to know what the answer is to fixing our economic state of affairs. I do agree that getting people back to work is critical to the solution, but the last thing we need right now is more housing in an already bloated market.

Tony Macchia Orlando

Hot topic:

Hometown Democracy

Regarding the Sentinel's editorial, "Wrong Rx for growth," on Oct. 4:

In a perfect world, the Sentinel might be correct. But alas, our world is far from perfect. Our Legislature passes laws on growth management and then weakens and guts them to reward political cronies and campaign contributors.

A super-majority or even unanimity law on comprehensive-plan changes would last only until the next election, if that long.

Overturning the Hometown Democracy amendment would require 60 percent of us common people to decide that we again want unbridled growth and destruction of what's left of rural Florida. Now that is real teeth — not removable dentures that can be changed at the whim of the legislators.

Richard Creedon Geneva