‘Good Neighbor’ policy dilutes opportunities for middle class

This new HUD program called “Good Neighbor Next Door” (“New HUD Program Expands Welfare,” Jan. 11) doesn’t surprise me a bit. No doubt it was a creation of the Obama administration. They are typical liberal politicos, whose base of support is the government employee unions. This is also typical of President Obama to use executive branch power to unconstitutionally and blatantly favor political friends and discriminate against political foes. I say unconstitutionally because this policy surely violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution.

What an in-your-face use of political power. As if the exorbitant wages, benefits and pensions that government employees are spoiled with weren’t enough, now we’re letting them buy HUD homes at half price. Come to think of it, if I was a government employee I’d be buying scores of those homes to repair and then sell at a hefty profit and thereby grow even richer.

Wow! Government employment: “It’s nice work, if you can get it.” But then, in order to get a government job you’ll probably have to be a friend or relative of a local politician or government supervisor, or pay money under the table. At least that’s how it works in this area.

This “Good Neighbor Next Door” policy is only the latest example of how non-rich private-sector employees have been used for their taxes while being squeezed out of the “favored class” for decades now. It is predominantly our tax dollars that pay for government, but we’re the only group that doesn’t get preferential treatment. Consider: the poor receive a lot of aid, both private and public; the wealthy benefit from crony capitalism that their campaign contributions have leverages; and government employees have wages, benefits and pensions that the typical private sector employee could only dream of.

Eventually enough Americans will wake up and get fed up with being treated like a $20 prostitute. After that there will be a day of reckoning.

James Dunlap, Mineral Ridge