When I read a recent op-ed praising preservation by Northampton's Lamont McClure, I was very unimpressed. McClure wants to "combat" warehouse proliferation. In our real, real estate world, the Jaindl Company develops their land with good road access, and rents thousands of acres to grow feed corn. *
Although McClure is fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare's current favorite pol, I never paid him much mind before. Yesterday, O'Hare reported that McClure also wants to reward county prison employees with a 25% raise for three months, if the workforce reaches a vaccination rate of 75%.
Fortunately, I'm not a taxpayer in Northampton County. Although I no longer routinely tolerate attending meetings, I would be compelled to help Lamont find his misplaced common sense.
*ADDENDUM: The Farmland Preservation programs can mostly only afford to buy land that wouldn't be developed anyway.
ADDENDUM: The Farmland Preservation programs could never afford the warehouse ready land near major interstates. Farmland Preservation is a feel-good nonsense program largely enriching the landed gentry.
You're missing the point. People don't want these large monstrosities in their back yards. Now, as an autistic man myself, I don't necessarily dislike the sight of these large buildings. But even I would prefer they weren't there, in place of a natural landscape.
ReplyDeleteanon@4:45, It's not my want to reply to comments. However, since I instituted a new policy allowing "anonymous", excuse me taking this opportunity to outline guidelines. In the previous post not all submitted comments appeared; Those too banal were excluded. "Anonymous" is a privilege, which requires a contribution to the dialogue to make the cut.
ReplyDeleteNow your comment: I assure you that Lamont's Farmland Preservation program will NOT include any land with good road access near a main route such as 22 or 78...the per acre priced would simply be too high. He is simply paying for land which would not be developed anyway. It's wonderful for the landowners, because they get paid for their undevelopable land rights and get to keep the land to boot. I know several "gentleman" farmers who smiled on the way to the bank. One in Bucks County windfall was over a $million. BUT, Lamont sold you on it, and your vote counts.
I wonder, if the counties buy the development rights to these properties, will they be able to sell the rights that they bought in the future, if it is politically and financially a benefit to someone. I believe that this has been an issue in some counties in the past.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t given this Farmland Preservation Program much thought other than to freely admit I prefer as much open land surrounding me as possible.
ReplyDeleteI suspect some of these transactions are yet another form of “money laundering” between politicians and those individuals/friends who fund their campaigns. Our politicians find new and creative ways all the time to enrich their own positions.
Fellow readers, too many politicians in office get way to comfy for anyone’s good but their own. The source for a politician’s “side income” can include donations from fake charities, insider stock trading, plum jobs for friends and families, etc.
At this point in America’s current decline, our politicians are quick to look the other way, protect each other’s secrets. All of this abuse begins to ramp up immediately after their first term.
There’s only one way out of this mess. That is to prevent serving in political office becoming a career. Because none of them have interest in discussing formal term limits . . . . WE need to do that for them.
Vote Incumbents out of office after 2 terms! Think of this as cutting the rot off the apple before eating. The taste is so much better.
ray@7:55, I do not believe that the county would be able to "sell" the development rights, because they do not "own" the property. However, I do suspect that down the line those who inherit the land will be able to sell the land, claiming some "fault" in the transaction years earlier.
ReplyDeleteAnon@8:21, your suggestion is excellent, however our elected officials for life have honed retention skills. If its just birthday cards flattering constituents, or being a white knight with school district funds, the system sets them up with prizes to dispense in celebration of being elected once again.
I am old enough to remember former Senator Dan Flood who served the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area. Voters there liked to say -
ReplyDelete“Yes, we know he’s a crook. But, he’s OUR crook!”
Lamont bears a startling resemblance to Vladimir Harkonnen from the original Dune film, we could have had a handsome burly well conditioned apex fitness guru running Norco instead we have a crimson asbestos lawyer whose policies on Farmland preservation represent the lowest form of trough slopping at the local level.
ReplyDeleteBrother Steve as an entrepreneur would have enhanced relationships with logistics companies not derided them so piously as Lamont has in his many unhinged missives.
Uhuru!
Beats that deadbeat John Brown and his entire administration by a million miles. Even if that only gets us to curb level. They all suck it's just by how much.
ReplyDelete