Do not be disillusioned, there are not and will not be other magical solutions for this housing shortage. Take notice now South Lake Tahoe, voting yes for the Measure N vacancy tax may be our one chance to make things right. Simply arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere our politicians and leaders haven’t.
Lately the divisiveness surrounding the vacancy tax has gone far beyond routine disagreement, and turned into personal attacks. People have aggressively asked me “So how do you contribute?” and “Why don’t you do a better job with your budget?” Essentially, why don’t I just “pull myself up by my bootstraps.” Believe me, I have.
Any local who’s survived here more than a year without outside support has, and that’s a whole other op-ed in itself. Animosity towards the working class— the base of South Tahoe’s economy— makes us feel diminished. I can see how second homeowners could feel the same.
Folks with a dream vacation or second home who have worked hard for peace and quiet in these beautiful mountains are assuming they’re being attacked by vacancy tax supporters. I’d like to believe that all residents of South Lake Tahoe (SLT) want to live in a thriving community where there’s an adequate workforce and people aren’t forced to live out of their cars just to survive, like our North Shore neighbors. We are not against each other on that.
It’s not a new concept to anyone that politicians and investors will ultimately protect the interests.