Jackson Hole Too Rich for Feds?
The Forest Service is thinking about moving its Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor's Office out of Jackson, Wyo. The reason? Its employees can't afford to live in the town, the Jackson Hole Star-Tribune reports. With no homes available for under $500,000, "housing is currently priced out of the market for most federal employees," a Forest Service official wrote in a recent memo. The agency is looking at pulling up stakes and moving to a less expensive town nearby. That has local residents concerned, the paper reports, because "employees of the Bridger-Teton make up a healthy chunk of volunteers for the county. They are volunteer firefighters, Rotarians, Garden Club members, arts supporters, pathway advocates, volunteer ski patrollers and sports coaches and debate team judges."
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Government Executive Staff Correspondent Alyssa Rosenberg takes a look at news affecting the management and operations of the massive federal bureaucracy.
Oh, those unfortunate rich folks. They will now find out that they will have to do or pay for what they got for free. Wait, wait, oh never mind, I thought that I was starting to shed a tear for them, but it was just a twitch caused by the single, last nerve I have left from hearing about how the rich can't get everything for free while complaining about how overpaid government employees are.
Billy Bob Posted Friday, August 31, 2007 11:08 AMgreat let the locals pay the volunteers, or provide less expensive housing
dan ketter Posted Friday, August 31, 2007 11:45 AMYou mean the rich liberals from California who moved to Jackson aren't taking care of these "volunteer" needs? I can't believe that.
David Schow Posted Friday, August 31, 2007 12:04 PMLife style of the rich and famous isn't conducive to volunteer work on a regular basis as a permanent member of the local community. celeb-cause de jour with media present required. The elite moves in and drives out the not so rich and famous. I have a novel idea, make it chic to live in Rwanda; those folks are in need of a boost to the local housing market. For sale: mud hut, indoor plumbing not included. $500,000
joe Posted Friday, August 31, 2007 1:21 PMNot fair, any of you. I live in Jackson. And like the majority of people here, I can only afford to live here because I bought my house some years ago, before the current run-up. We have an affordable housing issue, as do many cities. We are working on it. My immediate neighborhood has 50+ houses that are deed restricted to those who earn $60,000 with a single person, or more with a larger family. People who earn under $100,000 with families of 5-6 can get a house for under $200,000, when they come available. And more are being built each year.
That said, those who aren't lucky enough to get choosen for an affordable house often have to commute 30-40 minutes from nearby communities to work, shop, and get entertainment. Name me a large city where such commutes are not common. Elsewhere, commutes can be even longer. Yes, we would like everyone to live here who wants to. But like Manhattan, Washington DC, Boston, and San Francisco (and others surely), we have little land to sell. With limited supply and high demand, prices go up. Anyone know the price of a one or two bedroom apartment in NYC?
The rich who live here do pay taxes, and are required to contribute to affordable housing under many development schemes. So don't ding the residents. Most are not rich, and we are all struggling with this problem.
victoria Posted Saturday, September 1, 2007 11:18 PMDon't forget, you're talking about America here. It's the conservatives who set up the schemes that widens the divide between the rich and not so rich. (terribly easy to prove!) Let the liberals in and it doesn't have to progress like a 3rd world country...oh, and strengthen the labour unions, too...and, how about spending $100B here inside the USA, too! What a concept, huh?
kmp Posted Monday, September 3, 2007 11:39 AMThis is one of the most ludicrous discussions I've read in some time. Towns like Jackson face a real problem; what do you do in a small community which has become so popular that the affordable housing evaporates? This is small town America - - that small comunity of neighbors where everyone looks out for each other. How do you keep that quality when plain old folks who work hard and play by the rules can't afford a roof? Have them commute from towns 40-50 miles distant (like Vail)? Suddenly Jackson Hole starts to look like any other city in America with long commutes, airpolution and strip malls.
So it's not a question of rich vs. poor. It's a question of community.
James Paris Posted Tuesday, September 4, 2007 4:18 AMThis should be a wakeup call! Government service use to be a privileged job. Critical Sensitive potions are going to be harder to fill, and we are filling them with the lesser of the evils, because we do not have good candidates. If you do not provide a good quality life for G employees it will just be a revolving door. We are almost beyond the point of no repair.
Jeff Posted Wednesday, September 5, 2007 10:47 PM