By Saul Cohen Santa Monica
As the vice-chairman of the rent control board, Joel Koury, seems more than willing to force a small group of people to subsidize a large group of renters. (”Rent control is help, not a handout,” page 4, May 25) But then again, that’s exactly what rent control and the political board he now sits on has done since 1979. And it’s an even easier position to take when the subsidy isn’t coming out of Mr. Koury’s pocket.
His selective use of statistics is nothing more than sleight of hand worthy of a good magician. And he’s certainly not above throwing in the kind of personal anecdotes he accuses your paper of relying on in its article.
And, of course, he completely fails to mention that in this rent control scheme he supports there isn’t any means test, that is, whether someone’s income qualifies for or deserves a low, affordable, subsidized rent. It’s because of this that rent control has largely benefited those who occupy rent controlled apartments at an affordable rent that don’t actually need a subsidy, a subsidy that Mr. Koury seems willing to force on a small group of others and not himself.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 28, 2007. Read the original PDF.