To stop or slow foreclosures, what should the Columbia Heights City Council do? The real estate foreclosure problem was predicted by some economists as early as 1999. That makes the City Council nine years late in getting involved with foreclosures.

At a recent council meeting, all the council members felt that they were not responsible in any way with the foreclosure problem. The council has not even studied the problem to determine what would be a workable solution. The council "solution" (RIBS - residential inspection before sale) has no studies to show that its benefits outweigh the increases from fees, cost of regulatory delays, or quick fixes in selling Columbia Heights' neighborly homes.

What can the council do to reduce foreclosures?

- Stop all city development plans now. Development appears to be about 20 percent of the City budget.

- Reduce taxes to help keep citizens in their homes and increase the pool of potential homebuyers for affordable family homes in Columbia Heights.

- Reduce/eliminate regulations that interfere with the selling of homes in Columbia Heights.

- Allow the selling of homes "as is." This greatly reduces the chances that a home will sit vacant and become an eyesore.

Listen to citizens and put a sign on the door to City Hall that says, "No Solicitation from Developers."

The main concern of the Council should not be increasing the value of property so they will collect more taxes. The concern should be keeping Columbia Heights "Affordable and Neighborly."

Bob Odden

Candidate for mayor

Columbia Heights

Tell the council you won't forget

Formerly, when government wanted to stick its nose into your business, or reach into your pocketbook, it was careful not to do so in an election year. This was to allow sufficient time for the average constituent to forget what had been done to them. Politicians would wait until an "off" year, so that by the next election, people had long forgotten how many more rights had been trampled upon, how much more government had grown, and how much more freedom had been lost. It was incrementalism at its best.

This no longer seems a concern in Columbia Heights, as the City Council appears ready to "rubber stamp" its approval of the Residential Inspection Before Sale (RIBS) ordinance at its next meeting. It will require Columbia Heights residents to essentially get "permission" from the City in order to sell their own property.

RIBS will abolish one's right to sell a home "as is." I would like the City to show me where the Constitution says that I must get the government's permission to sell my private property. This is why we need to start voting for candidates who will support and abide by the Constitution, and why we should vote against any who don't.

Columbia Heights citizens have a great opportunity to start at the July 28 City Council meeting. Tell the council members that you reject this ordinance, and will vote out of office anyone who supports this money-grabbing, big-government, nanny-state scheme. Tell them we have a long memory, too, and will also vote out of office anyone who doesn't come up for re-election until the next election cycle!

Gregory K. Sloat

Real estate broker

Columbia Heights

Tell the council you won't forget

Formerly, when government wanted to stick its nose into your business, or reach into your pocketbook, it was careful not to do so in an election year. This was to allow sufficient time for the average constituent to forget what had been done to them. Politicians would wait until an "off" year, so that by the next election, people had long forgotten how many more rights had been trampled upon, how much more government had grown, and how much more freedom had been lost. It was incrementalism at its best.

This no longer seems a concern in Columbia Heights, as the City Council appears ready to "rubber stamp" its approval of the Residential Inspection Before Sale (RIBS) ordinance at its next meeting. It will require Columbia Heights residents to essentially get "permission" from the City in order to sell their own property.

RIBS will abolish one's right to sell a home "as is." I would like the City to show me where the Constitution says that I must get the government's permission to sell my private property. This is why we need to start voting for candidates who will support and abide by the Constitution, and why we should vote against any who don't.

Columbia Heights citizens have a great opportunity to start at the July 28 City Council meeting. Tell the council members that you reject this ordinance, and will vote out of office anyone who supports this money-grabbing, big-government, nanny-state scheme. Tell them we have a long memory, too, and will also vote out of office anyone who doesn't come up for re-election until the next election cycle!

Gregory K. Sloat

Real estate broker

Columbia Heights