Why I voted Republican

Ha! Thought that would get your attention. But I did vote Republican in two local races. One was a fellow Episcopalian I see at church and at the Y. The other one ... well, there's an interesting story there.

Awhile back Jack and I were writing about the housing implosion. Jack made this comment that I agreed with :

I'd like to see the blame spread a little more, and more thickly. Real estate developers for a long time built giant houses and cooperated with the banks in selling them to people who couldn't afford them.

This certainly struck a chord. Around here, a county where the economy has been a serious problem for years, and where most people are lower middle class or working class, the only new houses Carmen and I have seen being built have been huge things that must cost $250k minimum. Except one.

When we were looking for a house I went to an open house for a small, modest, but well designed, well built and attractive home going for $115K. And the builder was there to explain his work. He told me that like autos it was nearly as much expense, time and trouble to build a small home as a modest one but that you make more money on the big expensive home. He felt, however, that every now and then for the health of the community he should build a smaller, cheaper house and that was what this house represented.

I believed him. And the last two times he has run for local office both Carmen and I have voted for him.