Discussion on knau-news-series

[a...@bestflagstaffhomes.com]

I am really concerned about your using the title "Poverty with a
View". That phrase will stick in peoples' minds all over the country
and not be good for the problems we need to solve. We need affordable
housing but higher paying jobs are the realistic part of the
affordability problem because of our land shortage. What high tech
company will want to move here if the town has the reputation "Poverty
with a View." Of course, there are other problems -- what high tech
company wants to move to a place without a well-educated workforce?
Arizona is 49 out of 50 in quality of education the last that I heard
and that problem is caused by the legislature's unwillingness to tax
adequately to pay for education.
Flagstaff is not a place to move if you want to live in a lower cost
area to raise a family with good schools. Poor education available to
their employees' families will deter companies who want to move some
of their workforce here as well as those who are counting on hiring
skilled people from the local population.
On the other hand, if you want to live in a beautiful area with
priceless views, near-perfect climate and lots of free outdoor
opportunities, come on along. The people who do buy homes in Flagstaff
are often people who have had a good job and career elsewhere and can
afford the cost of housing that goes along with these priceless
amenities, or they are second home owners escaping the heat and
congestion in Phoenix.
I do not want to sound uncompassionate about those who struggle to
find housing in Flagstaff and decent paying jobs in Flagstaff, because
I am not, but I think it comes down to factors that are beyond the
control of Flagstaff citizens and government, namely our education and
tax systems and the nature of available land and water. No one in
Flagstaff will be helped if you title this series "Poverty with a
View" -- and we know that's not an original or creative title, so it's
beneath KNAU to do that anyway! While poverty is present in Flagstaff,
there are also many local people and groups who generously donate to
help those in poverty. Outside of the Rez, which is an entirely
different situation, the kind of suffering caused by poverty in
Flagstaff is nothing compared to what goes on in many large cities and
certainly in other parts of the world. I think the use of this title
will belittle the real, hopeless poverty that exists elsewhere.