This post originally appeared at https://www.badgerinstitute.org/letter-to-the-editor-millville-article-was-not-about-free-markets/

A Badger Institute reader offered the following response to the story, Deeply rural Millville isn’t coming back — and likes it that way.

I have to say I was surprised the Badger Institute highlighted the Millville article. The Institute is about “Free Markets, Opportunity, Prosperity” — NONE of which are exemplified in what is going on in Millville.

The population is growing. We need more housing. But entitled 50-60-70 year-olds who bought (or inherited) their properties in a different time and different economy implement policies that “maintain our local character” but have the impact of driving up land and housing prices. And then they complain when their kids can’t afford housing — be it rental or purchase.

I agree about a discussion — you can’t really get to the truth of anything without debate and discussion.

But the piece didn’t really have an alternative side — perhaps a quote from a young working family that wanted to live in that community but could not do so because of existing residents used the force of government to essentially stop any new development, and thereby driving up the price of existing housing stock, including that owned by making those rules.

I used to live in California for several years and saw what this type of supposedly “protectionist” policies do to housing and the culture, and how it typically favors upper middle and upper income folks and hurts everyone else, especially minorities and the young, who can’t even dream of owning a house.

— C.W.

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