DC Housing Rant

People are always amazed at the stupidity and wastefulness of DC’s bureaucrats, unless you live here, then you get used to it. I saw this article in the Washington Post about how the city will have to pay $1.5 million to buy a house in a wealthy part of the city and demolish it. Yes, demolish it. It seems DC didn’t follow proper procedures when it approved the plans, so they ended up having to buy it and will destroy it. They’ll destroy the brand new kitchen with granite countertops, as well as the never used bathroom with Jacuzzi tubs and all those other high end hoo has.

That’s the problem with government. If you cost your employer $1.5 million because you didn’t do your job right, you would be fired. Whoever is responsible for this cockup will still get their step increase every year, and their grade increase every couple of years. I guarantee that it’s someone who’s been in government as long as I’ve been alive and who will be harder to fire than the President.

Anyway, I think this story is as much about stuck up rich people and their attitude toward uppity people of color as it is about incompetent bureaucrats. It seems that when the house was being built, the neighbors raised a big stink and sued, which is why, in addition to paying to demolish the house, the city has to pay their lawyer fees too, and will let them buy the land for cheap Now, I don’t know why the neighbors are complaining. The house looks nice enough to me. Maybe those uppity WASPy types didn’t like the fact that the house was owned by a Vietnamese woman and a latino man. The article says she’s a lawyer, but I’m sure the only Vietnamese the people in that area of DC come in contact with are the women who do their nails (to be fair, they do say “hola” to their latino gardeners when their neighbors aren’t looking).

Here’s what I found interesting about the whole thing:

Also in the settlement, residents of the three houses adjoining the property led by attorneys Deborah Royster and her husband, Robert A. Malson, purchased the land for $135,000. The city owns the house and its contents, some of which can be salvaged, and will be responsible for grading the property when it is razed, Royster said.

So the neighbors get their legal fees, they get to buy the land for next to nothing, AND the city has to landscape the property for them? Such a deal!!!
When they toured their newly plundered pirate booty, guess what they had to say:

In one bathroom, the fixtures were in a box on the vanity. In another, a contemporary bowl sink was sitting on the floor. A fireplace mantel was propped on one wall. A second-floor bathroom with marble floors and shower featured a whirlpool bathtub and two windows with a bird's-eye view of Royster's pool and kitchen. A white tea kettle on her counter top could be seen clearly. "Omigod," Royster said, "I didn't realize they could see me at my kitchen sink."

HOLY CRAP, Deborah! Those ethnics can see you at your kitchen sink! Call the police! They must be up to no good! After all, they’re darker than you, right? And their food smells funny! I bet you locked up your pets when they moved in because you heard that Vietnamese eat dogs and cats with sweet and sour sauce, right? In fact, your friend told you that he heard from a guy who heard from a guy who read in a paper that they raided a Vietnamese restaurant and found cats in the kitchen, right?
Now here’s the kicker:

Many of the house's windows allowed a view of the houses on the adjoining property lots, but it was built so that the dining room had unobstructed front and side views of Rock Creek Park…
When they complained about the house to the paper "They have a better view than we do," said Royster, who has lived in the neighborhood for eight years.

TRANSLATION: “WHAT??? How dare they have a better view than us? We’re white!!!” Is that what you meant to say? Ya cracka ass cracka!!!

Anyway, I have no proof that these people are racists, but I do have proof that they are assholes. What other kind of person takes their neighbor to court, has their neighbors house torn down and then gets to buy their land for a song by using the legal system as a weapon. Oh, I know…assholes.





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In other news, I saw this article today about increasing the value of your home. Why do all these articles say the same thing? Let me summarize: Focus on your kitchen and bath because that’s what people look at most. And don’t overdo it because you won’t make that money back. EVERY article says the exact same thing. That’s like reading diet tips that say “eat right and exercise.” Anyway, have a nice weekend everybody…except for those assholes in rock creek park.