SOUNDING OFF:Carchio’s housing plan lacks foundation

I voted for Joe Carchio because I was led to believe that he was a sensible businessman with views that I agreed with. Today I read that one of his initiatives is to provide affordable housing for city employees (“Carchio discusses priorities,” Dec. 14).

How is this going to happen, and why? First of all, where is this new “city employee roject” going to be built? Will the city of Huntington Beach enact Eminent Domain on existing neighborhoods to acquire the property for the “housing project”? Who will pay for the relocation of the displaced residents? Another solution would be to force selected property owners to rent or sell at below-market prices. How will the poor deserving city employees, with their better than average retirement program, be selected?

The bigger question is why? This is a capitalistic economy, and in America you have the opportunity to pursue your career goals and strive to better yourself. Mr. Carchio seems to believe that since you chose to pursue a career as a Huntington Beach city employee, with the full understanding of the pay scale, that the city and taxpayers should subsidize your housing so that you can live in the city that you work.

He has not begun to think this proposal through, and yet in an interview with your paper, he goes on record with this ridiculous agenda — another elected official on the Huntington Beach Council with absurd personal agendas.

Do your job and stay focused on cleaning up the “Party Zone” called Main Street and keep the potholes filled.

If you really want to help, why don’t you give deep discounts to all city employees at your deli? In your socialist view of the city, I am sure that the taxpayers would vote a special tax to compensate you for your losses.