Letter: Real estate interests should pay fair share

The commentary in favor of no controls on “monster houses” sent me over the edge (“‘Monster-house’ plan would kill multi-generational homes,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Oct. 9).

Heaven forbid we might infringe on the free-speech rights of the developers and real estate investors to dominate this ideological battle, but the column inches allotted to these special interests far exceeds the strength of their argument.

How can anyone expect solutions to our housing crisis to come from the parties that profit from escalating costs and overcrowding? These corporate entities have an interest in continuing our misery.

The ballot measure to tax high-end real estate transactions may be one of our last chances to slow runaway housing costs — we must take action to drive investors out of our real estate market for the sake of working families who can’t compete with those whose sole desire is the quick million bucks. Vote yes on ConAm.

Richard Weigel

Salt Lake

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