What are they thinking in Smithtown? (Mina, Accord: work, housing, community)

[Jrprofess]

Originally Posted by nbres

Come on People.

The issue is Race and Race only.

Smithtown is probably the Whitest Township on Long Island and wants to keep it that way.

However, the forces for change are knocking on Smithtown's door and there is little or nothing that can be done under the current circumstances to stop what is coming.

As I said on an erlier post I know several non-Whites who have moved to Smithtown or plan to move there. They also are encouraging family members to move out there as well. Remember, Smithtown is huge and there are lots of cheaper homes all over and illegal rentals as well.

Interesting logic...the whitest township in the STATE, is apparently on the verge of a conspiracy of non-whites to move into a see of illegal rentals and cheap homes...where does this group hold their meetings??

So this is a high probability in Smithtown more so than areas like North Babylon...ummm, okay... Where are all of these "cheaper homes". Newsday ran an article based on the median income levels of the townships (2006 census) in the state and Smithtown outpaced every single geography in the state by both salary growth and income level ($103,507 family)...In fact the article lamented that is was the richest township by far, pushing out working class families, and was the only township in the preceeding six years to have stayed above 90% white...I believe many on this board have often criticized the area for not being an option for traditional middle class/working class families. But let's not let logic get in the way of the debate. I am sure there is a rash of illegal apartments I continue to overlook on my way to Trader Joe's....

The Section 8 law is obviously done with an undercurrent of bias, and if you are going to accept Federal Funds you can not then put a local government spin on the requirements. Yes it favors current residents but as a citizen in the township I would be naive to say it is being done on the up and up with a concern for current residents. Simply decline the funding if you are concerned it will bring in an undesirable element. Can't have it both ways.

[Glad2BHere]

Originally Posted by VTP

What about the fate of those whose ancestors were tortured at the hands of Stalin? Or Hitler? Do you have any idea how many people were killed and brutalized by the Stalinist regime? Obviously not.The figure, I believe, meets the 20 million mark. I don't know of any people whose ancestors experienced these atrocities who are whining and bellyaching that others should make reparation to them by granting them undue entry to desirable neighborhoods.

Right. Great point.

Some people just want to blame others for their problems and try to hold us all accountable forever.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by Manigault

The whole issue of reparations has more parameters than have been discussed here. If you want to start a thread in the politics area I would set out some factors which are important but overlooked. But let's get off that red herring here.

What no one here has addressed is, what if the people of Smitthown want to be associated with all kinds of folks? This quote was in today's Newsday:

"Smithtown's unlawful preference for white residents and its further actions to prevent minorities from receiving Section 8 vouchers, deprive minorities of the chance to fairly compete for this federal housing subsidy and impede all Smithtown residents' ability to reap the benefits of living in an integrated community," Nicole Birch from the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights said in a statement.

Here's the whole article -- http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny...,6340723.story
Housing bias suit targets Smithtown Section 8 plan


The Town of Smithtown committed civil rights violations in its Section 8 Housing program, according to a federal class-action lawsuit filed last week by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights on behalf of four minority women.

The suit contends that the town's policy of giving those who reside or work in the town preference for subsidy vouchers through the Department of Housing and Urban Development gives whites an advantage since the town is 93 percent white.

None of the four women named as plaintiffs in the suit lived in the Town of Smithtown.





If the town is 93% white, only 90% of the vouchers were given to whites -- while the balance went to non whites. The distribution reflects the area's demographics. To increase the number of vouchers to minorities would be reverse discrimination.

What would be fair is to distribute Section 8 vouchers with the Town's demographics in mind and adhere to the resident/worker in town preference sheet. If a town is 25% Asian, then every 5 Asian resident families out of 20 should get housing.

Allow time to pass and nature to take it's course -- natural integration is acceptable as we end up with new neighbors who share things in common with us. Court-ordered integration because someone cries racisim is not productive and is a giant step backwards in race relations.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by Jrprofess

I am sure there is a rash of illegal apartments I continue to overlook on my way to Trader Joe's....

Look across the street from Trader Joes. Those houses on Alexander Ave are mostly rentals.

[Glad2BHere]

Originally Posted by OhBeeHave

If the town is 93% white, only 90% of the vouchers were given to whites -- while the balance went to non whites. The distribution reflects the area's demographics. To increase the number of vouchers to minorities would be reverse discrimination.

So true.

Thanks for posting the truth. So Section 8 under HUD DOES allow preferential treatment to employees or residents? Then there IS no suit here and someone is just looking to cry racism.

I think you made a huge point with this post.

[Manigault]

I think you are misusing statistics. If 50% of the wait list is white but 90% of the vouchers go to white people, I don't know if that is equitable at all. I suspect it violates federal law.

[Beers420]

Talk about beating a dead horse people. THE ISSUE IS NOT RACISM. It is it isnt blah blah blah.

Stop picking apart the story to make it sound the way you want it to.

I lived in Smithtown for many years which by the way is a huge township

that has many exclusive areas and plenty of homes that are on the more

affordable LI price range. Many of the homes in Smithtown also have rental

properties. I lived in a high ranch with an apartment that I rented to tenants

that paid the rent without goverment assistance every month. If thetownship

wants to help elderly, disabled, and most of all people who have worked

and/or resided in the town so be it. Their is NO lack of renters for landlords.

It is the local govts decision who is allocated this money. And by the way if

it matters my family is from Uraguay. My neighbors on one side moved to the

US in their mid 30's from Italy and on the other side were AfricanAmerican.

We must have been the only ones from your theory of a town preventing

non-white folk from moving in. I dont remember having a hard time when I

bought my house with the WHITES of the neighborhood. Its *******s like you

that turn this into something its not.

[Beers420]

Thank You OHBEEHAVE and G2Bhere! Its so easy to see yet some want to turn evrything into a issue about race.

[TomMoser]

Originally Posted by Glad2BHere

So true.

Thanks for posting the truth. So Section 8 under HUD DOES allow preferential treatment to employees or residents? Then there IS no suit here and someone is just looking to cry racism.

I think you made a huge point with this post.

I think you are missing an important point. According to the article "The suit contends that when Smithtown exhausted its preferred list in 2006, it re-advertised the program to eligible residents instead of reverting to nonresidents on its waiting list, effectively shutting out minorities who don't live in the town." The illegal act, according to the federal government is that Smithtown did not revert to the nonresidents on it's waiting list, as it is required to do. The point seems to be that HUD allows towns to take care of their own first, but not ONLY their own. If the town does not like the rules, they should not accept the federal government money for the benefit of their own residents.

[rubygreta]

THERE IS NO DISCRIMINATION HERE! Why? Because if all the Section 8 applicants who did not live in Smithtown were white, they would be turned down at the same rate the minority applicants who do not live in Smithtown are currently being turned down, THAT'S WHY!

And don't you think it is natural for a community to want to help those residents who have lived in that community for years that have fallen on hard times before those who have never stepped foot in the community?