Tuesday’s open line
Is there a need for low-income housing in Henderson and Vance County, as Henderson City Council members Lonnie Davis and Mary Emma Evans asserted yesterday evening, or do we have enough, as observed by council members Garry Daeke and Mike Rainey?
Let us know what you think on today’s open line.
Everyone needs housing. However, the amount of Low Income housing in my opinion is enough. Maybe we should look at repairing what we have. If we decide to build another low income development it needs to be on the west side of town. The east side has 3 and that is enough. Low income housing is nothing but a burden. We need development’s and commercial sites that will bring money, not waste it. We need to quit inviting these low income individuals to our county by building cheap housing. It increases crime, increases the poverty level, and decreases the surrounding property values. Its time the citizens stand up for economic development and take steps forward, not building low income, tax money dependent housing that takes us no where.
Comment by stf2007 — October 27, 2009 @ 6:42 am
Mr. Davis is the ward representative for the Beacon Lights area. I’ll never forget the night he was asked about Beacon Light and his report was was that other than a little grass on the fence all was O.K.
Maybe he was thinking outside of Mary Emma’s so called box or maybe he was in a box and couldn’t see. Henderson is going to wait a long time for this crew to change anything that is not in the best interest of the slumlords and landlords.
I would like to recommend that the city open up Beacon Light for one Sunday to allow the citizens of Henderson to visit the area and draw their own conclusions as to the future of the area.
Comment by Tears of Mary — October 27, 2009 @ 7:07 am
Agreed. Fix what is repairable and tear down the empty hovels. Pave all the streets. Fix the plumbing.
Comment by Relic — October 27, 2009 @ 7:55 am
I have to agree.
Comment by befuddled — October 27, 2009 @ 8:57 am
One moves in a dozen follows in the same apartment and hard to detect as most managers don’t live on the property. My opinion that is what brought the downfall to Beacon Lights.
Comment by Blackcat16 — October 27, 2009 @ 9:39 am
There already is low income subsidized housing on the West side of Henderson–it is called Section 8–. Think about it–you can figure it out.
Comment by north star — October 27, 2009 @ 9:52 am
And– NO__there is already too much low income housing in the city. Renters begone! It is very sad that only about 40% is owner occupied property.
Comment by north star — October 27, 2009 @ 9:54 am
A change of subject:
Did anyone happen to visit Wal Mart on Sunday while the “artist” was there in front of the store trying to sell his paintings? One of the paintings of a totally nude woman deeply offended a friend of mine. When she mentioned it to the “greeter”, she was informed that the man had been there for most of the day, and that a lot of people, including Mal Mart employees were also offended. She said several had informed the manager on duty. It seems nothing was done or said and the man had continued to display the distastful art.
My friend attempted to contact the manager and was told that he could not be found. She then took it upon herself to call police to see if anything could be done to get this painting taken from the public’s view.
The police responded by sending officers to Wal Mart, but by that time the man had taken his “art” and left. Of course, the officers couldn’t do anything without having custody of the man.
My concern is why the management at Wal Mart didn’t take care of this problem. How many people, including children, were exposed to this offensive painting, which was large and detailed, very easily seen by all. Do people just not care any more about decency. It also makes me wonder how many customers Wal Mart lost because of the failure to protect them from an embarrassing situation. I know, for sure, that they’ve lost two.
Comment by MS — October 27, 2009 @ 11:13 am
MS do you really think Wal Mart really cares. I have tried on several occasions to have the Manager try and explain why they changed the store like they did. It took about 30 minutes to find one item and longer to find the Manager we all need to call 1-800-Walmart and complain if it will really do any good.
Comment by Blackcat16 — October 27, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
No More Low-Income Rentals, or Section 8. Run the slum-lords out with them. You know the ones in west Henderson with the two biggest houses. And the nerve of some on the council wanting to give them more breaks. WAKE UP… DINGY they dont have those mansions for nothing… They get them from RENT money and government hand-outs in the form of section 8. But they work so hard helping the community! HA!! Thats a big damn joke along with all the west Henderson kiss-ups that think they are so great!! Get in the real world!
Comment by Roger(s) Dodger — October 27, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
Bid is upped to $120,000. Rolling on the River!!
Comment by Southerland Miller — October 27, 2009 @ 4:29 pm
Thanks Ms Yount for keeping your eyes open. That is at least $75,000 that the city would not have.
Comment by general man — October 27, 2009 @ 4:49 pm
Once again the Tail is wagging the horse. Lets see should we work on getting more income for the people of Henderson so they do not require low income housing or should we build more low income housing in order to atract more low income people to live in Low Income Housing. Some of our elected oficials must have ben to that movie that they said ” Build it and they will come”. Is there any such thing as tempary low income housing? Maybe we would be beter served if we spent more time and money trying to find Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.
Comment by And That's the way it is — October 27, 2009 @ 5:06 pm
North Star, the last ratio of local owner vs rental was 35 percent owner and 65 percent rental. This is opposite of the national rate and does a lot to explain Henderson’s economy.
Comment by Bobby Gupton — October 27, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
#11 – who put in the $120,000 bid? YEAH!!!
Comment by Interesting — October 27, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Wal Mart – believe you me, it is worth the trip up to Wake Forest on #1, or even over to Oxford to the new Wal Mart.
Don’t waste your time here – might get shot going in the door.
Comment by Interesting — October 27, 2009 @ 5:16 pm
Do you think maybe Robert is unhappy that he sold it to the city for a measly $51,000?
Comment by Rachel — October 27, 2009 @ 5:19 pm
Robert did not ever own this land. His kin folks sold it to the city back in the 50′s for $51,000. That would be around 2million in today’s dollars. Robert was getting a deal from the council for his support of the New Direction. It sure back-fired on him. The council was working for Robert on this one and not the citizens. If Yount had not upped the bid he would have pulled it off.
Comment by Southerland Miller — October 27, 2009 @ 5:24 pm
Thanks to Ms. Yount – the plan backfired!!!! YEAH, Mrs. Yount for getting the ball rolling.
Henderson is so lucky to have Ms. Yount and Bobby Gupton concerned for HENDERSON.
Comment by Interesting — October 27, 2009 @ 5:25 pm
Off topic but it was overheard @ a local grocery store that the “owner” of the pool room where the man lost his life last week was arrested over the weekend!! Anybody else hear this? Has henderson gotten so bad that when MURDERS,RAPES,ETC. take place, they make the local “news outlets” the first day and then you never hear anything else about them. Whether it be a memo from the Police Dept. or Sheriff Dept. It’s like it never happened and if you miss it the first day after ‘it” happens, good luck finding out any reliable information; unless you are in a good local grocery store!!
Comment by Hometown News? — October 27, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
Good Lord, we have WAYYYYYYY TOOOOOO MUCHHHHH low income housing in Henderson!!!!!
Comment by How so? — October 27, 2009 @ 6:07 pm
Kudos for Garry Daeke and Mike Rainey. I am impressed that each/both have taken a firm stand regarding the issue of “low income/section 8 housing”.
Henderson has exceeded the amount of “government supported” housing that allows a society to grow and thrive. Time and time again, the quality of life in any given group of people starts to deteriorate when the ratio of dwellings owned by the occupants as opposed to rented and/or subsidized exceeds 20%.
I support Mike Rainey’s position and urge him to “stay the course”. Henderson can never improve the quality of the life offered its citizens until certain basic problems are corrected.
Remember, we deserve what we are willing to accept
Comment by Lewis H. Edwards — October 27, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
#8 If the owner of the property did not ask the gentleman to leave, what were the cops supposed to do about it?
Comment by Phil Hart — October 27, 2009 @ 6:41 pm
well “kudos” for mee for still being the most ignorant politician in the 4-County Area. Now that the tax dead-beat alston isn’t on the city council, she has now officially gained the label. I’m wondering if the city of Henderson could write a “grant” so that a TROPHY can be bought & given to mee for showing “her true colors shining through” and it seems to be GREEN!! I wonder if she liked the Incredible Hulk as a child?
Comment by Hometown News? — October 27, 2009 @ 7:20 pm
How does the “leadership” in Vance County ever think that they will assist in healing Vance County’s problems if they push for more low-income housing?!?! Vance County is in a sad state of affairs, and it’s not looking like it is going to have a bright future any time soon, especially with this group of leaders we were dumb enough to vote in. Ms. Yount, good job exposing the garbage in our leadership.
Comment by befuddled — October 27, 2009 @ 7:38 pm
We are getting it too Mr. Edwards. Thanks to you for all your hard work.
Comment by Peggy Sue — October 27, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
Enough low income /subsidized / section 8 housing in the city and county
Glad to see that the city may be ready to take a stand against it,just wish the county would take action also.
As I and others have stated many times before. a county or city can only support a given number of residents that are unable to support themselves.
As stated before along with low income residents ,comes increase in poverty, crime,and above all INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES to pay for this.
And the increases in property taxes sends any prospective new business looking elsewhere.
We in Vance County exceded the number we can support abour 6 years ago wen the line item on the County budget for DSS exceded the line item to support the local school system.
Comment by Robert L Duke — October 27, 2009 @ 8:45 pm
As for the City Council expressing need for a cap on subsidized housing and rentals/ a day late , LOT OF DOLLARS SHORT!
Comment by north star — October 27, 2009 @ 9:02 pm
No more, we (tax paying, law abiding citizens) can’t take anymore! I’ve been out of the country for a couple of months, Interesting are you still keeping up the work of the republican party (deception, hate, and division)?
Comment by THE REAL DEAL — October 27, 2009 @ 9:33 pm
enough of “ignorant” politicians such as mee!!!!
Comment by Hometown News? — October 27, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
Beacon Light Apts arent that old and should be in good condition. However the thugs that lived there tore it to hell and didnt give a rip about themselves or the neighborhood. Now they are putting the blame on everybody else for the run down housing that they destroyed. I take pride in my home and its 75 years old. When I need to repair my home I dont expect the government or HUD to fix it, I pay to fix it. Tear down Beacon Light and leave it vacant cause they will just mess it up again. Now do you liberals see what subsidized housing and government handouts are doing to our society? Keep it up and mabey just mabey they will all keep killing eachother.
Comment by long time Hendersonian — October 27, 2009 @ 10:09 pm
is it true that MEE doesn’t own the property she lives in, but rents it?
if that’s true, then why would she be against more rental housing?
I don’t know much about MEE’s “congregation”..are they mostly “low income” folks living in subsidized housing?
maybe her goal is to have her whole congregation on Section 8. And when others see what she’s doing to help the poor..they’ll join, too.
Hasn’t that been the way of allot of politicians, and community organizers in recent years? Get ‘em on the dole and in subsidized housing..keep ‘em dependent, keep ‘em dumb, keep ‘em down. Convince them they are victims and entitled, and get them to the polls.
Comment by ziggy — October 27, 2009 @ 10:15 pm
OT…I heard today, on the WRAL radio news, that Google has plans to open business somewhere in NC..and a group of congressman and others are meeting to fight against excessive tax breaks or other “incentives” that the legislature might be thinking of extending to Google.
The report added that Dell has recently agreed to pay back some big bucks they got as incentives from the state and local governments, since their announcement to move to Mexico.
Comment by ziggy — October 27, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
did anyone see Glenn Beck today?
excellent report on global warming, with an author named Christopher Booker, with videos to document the discussion.
The title of the book is..”The Real Global Warming Disaster”.
Comment by ziggy — October 27, 2009 @ 10:29 pm
The Dumbest Comment Ever made By A Caller to TOWN TALK
Monday–In short–He thought it was the gun owners’ fault if robbers broke in to their home and stole their guns for use in other crimes in the streets!
Now that is one for the books. Hey fellow—a man’s home is his castle–and no body has the right to break in.
The worst of that — the guys who run Town Talk didn’t reply. It took another caller today to set them straight today Then another turkey who called in stood my hair on end (pun intended) saying hug the mugger. Love is the answer.
Good Grief.
Comment by north star — October 27, 2009 @ 11:38 pm
I know who you mean..he use to call pretty often with off the wall comments.
it’s hard to know if he’s serious or just trying to stir the pot.
BTW…new Super Walmart opening in Louisburg tomorrow..(October 28)..across from Moss Foods and behind the car dealer..
Comment by ziggy — October 28, 2009 @ 12:28 am