COASTAL HOUSING CRISIS? MORE LIKE REALTOR’S GOLD RUSH!

It appears KEYT NewsChannel 3-12 has bravely waded into the deep end of public discourse this week, posing the groundbreaking question: 'Should More Housing Projects Be Approved Along the Coast?' One might forgive us for thinking this was less a poll and more a thinly veiled advertorial for every developer with friends at City Hall and pockets deep enough to 'solve' our so-called 'housing crisis.' Because, as every local knows, 'solving' means more luxury units with ocean views that only out-of-state tech bros can afford, further pricing out the very people they claim to help.

Funny how 'housing crisis' always seems to translate into 'developer windfall' around here, isn't it? Local government, ever eager to please its biggest campaign donors, rubber-stamps projects under the guise of creating 'affordable housing,' then watches as said 'affordable housing' starts at a cool $1.2 million for a cramped shoebox. Meanwhile, the actual working folks who keep this county running are staring down the barrel of rent increases that make a Silicon Valley landlord blush. But don't worry, the local news is on it, asking if we should *keep* doing the thing that clearly isn't working for anyone but the folks building the stuff.

The real 'crisis' isn't a lack of housing; it's a lack of critical thinking in our local media and political class. They parrot the developer-funded talking points about density and demand, never once questioning whether turning every open space into a concrete jungle actually improves anything for anyone other than the select few who profit. Perhaps instead of asking if we should build *more*, KEYT could ask *who* benefits most, and *who* is footing the bill (spoiler: it's you, the taxpayer, through infrastructure upgrades and increased traffic congestion that magically appears *after* the permits are granted). The answer, as always, is usually found by following the money trail, not by clicking a 'yes' or 'no' button on a website.

But hey, why look for uncomfortable truths when you can just conduct another poll that perfectly aligns with the prevailing narrative pushed by the very same local officials and developers who need public opinion to nod along? It's much easier to pretend that pouring more concrete solves all ills than to challenge the crony capitalism that defines so much of our local planning.