On Monday the Council approved the first reading of the ordinance that enacts the Employee Housing program.  It sets aside a pool of money to help City employees make down payments on bank-owned or foreclosed properties in the City.  There are conditions (if they leave our employ they have to pay us back) and restrictions on the program but it’s reasonable and will hopefully get more employees in the City and get more bank-owned properties in the hands of home-owners.  The program is administered by the Manassas Housing Trust Fund who administers the existing program that is available to all City residents.

This is an important piece of Manassas Next and I’m glad the staff worked it through to completion and the Council approved it.   WaPo article is here.

For all of you who were appalled at my review of the Palin speech, maybe I can make it up to you:  I thought that Mac gave a great speech last night.  There was a pander here and a pander there but on balance it was a hell of a speech.  A guy who has been through what McCain has and at his age should be on the backside of the hill.  Not McCain, he’s standing in the middle of a cheering crowd asking, no, demanding that we fight with him to fix our Country.

As to content, I thought it was right on the money.   Whether he can actually do all of that stuff is a bit of an open question but I liked what he had to say.  I re-watched the Palin speech and I just can’t like it.  Sorry…:)