Some are saying Bonita Springs needs affordable housing so low-income workers can afford to live in our community. From their perspective, they are right, but are there another perspectives. 

Some will say it is moral issue, the way we respond speaks to our respect for our fellowman.

Still others will say to subsidize housing for low-income workers is not a “government problem”, but a “private sector” problem and the private sector should solve it!

For example, if the building industry charges its customers $35/hour for unskilled labor. Contractors then go to the street market and hire labor for $10/hour. When we reach the point that the $10/hour labor can no longer afford to live in Bonita Springs, contractors will be forced to pay a living wage to attract labor. Will the price of new housing go up (perhaps) or will the profits of the builder go down (more likely)? Either way I don’t see that Government has an obligation to subsidize the building industry with taxpayer funded affordable housing.

Ok, but what about service workers for our hotels and restaurants? They don’t have the huge mark ups available in the building industry. Yes, the cost of a hotel room and a dinner will likely go up if we have to pay the maid and the dishwasher a living wage. Perhaps we won’t get as many tourists---would that be a bad thing? Yes, your hamburger at McDonalds will cost more, but you have a clear choice. You can pay more for a hamburger or pay higher taxes to subsidize affordable housing for McDonalds work force.

Well, what about domestic help to clean our homes and cut our lawn? Yes, you will clearly pay more for these services but again you have a choice. Pay a market price for these services or pay higher taxes to subsidize a workforce of second-class citizens who need subsidized affordable housing, food stamps, Medicaid, SSI, subsidized public transportation and schools.

Let’s not overlook the moral issue. When you do for someone what they should do for themselves you destroy their self-image, stifle initiative and create dependency. When you create a system that condemns a large portion of its citizens to exist on public welfare you expose these second- class citizens to a lifestyle that breeds crime, corruption, drug dependency and civil unrest.

The choice is clear; we pay one-way or the other. We pay higher taxes to support a government administered welfare system that we know from our experience does not work OR we pay higher wages to create a work force of responsible citizens who will own a stake in our community.