‘God has this problem: He seems to think that He is God.’ That’s an evergreen maxim just as the headline paraphrase of the following John Adams quote, confirmed by the Quote Investigator. “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” Merriam Webster reminds us that evergreen means: “1: having foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. 2 a: retaining freshness or interest…b: universally and continually relevant, not limited in applicability to a particular event or date” (emphasis added). The John Adams quote is somewhat akin to the remark credited to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (NY-D), who said: “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.”
There are such a things as objective reality, truth, and evidence that rises above mere opinion. The sobering point that some in our nation and some other ‘Western’ countries have been advised or taught differently is part of the tragedy of our era. Truth and evidence matter. We can think that we can fly, but unless we have some special device or equipment, jumping off a high-rise tower, cliff that is tall enough, or jump out of a plane that is high enough without a parachute will kill us regardless of our whims or wishes.
To be clear, there are subjective truths. Example. I don’t like mustard, ketchup, or mayo. That is a matter of taste, and taste is entirely personal. You may the taste of X, I like the taste of Y. Both can be true.
But when it comes to 1+1, in the normal laws of mathematics, that is always 2. That isn’t ‘2 for you, 3 for me, or 1 for someone else.’
Truth by definition is, per Oxford Languages: “that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.”
A lie, per the definition from Merriam Webster, means: “to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive.”
An error, per Oxford Languages means: “the state or condition of being wrong in conduct or judgment.”
A true lie, per Quora: “The phrase “true lies” refers to a situation in which someone is telling a lie that is ultimately true in some sense.”
Another way that “true lies” are explained is that it is a statement that is true but is missing some information and is thus it is a truth that is intended to mislead or deceive. True lies are common enough that the American Psychological Association (APA) has studied it. The APA’s title for that research said: “True Lies: People Who Lie Via Telling Truth Viewed Harshly.” It is fair to say that people normally don’t want to be deceived.
Another word that has a similar meaning as “true lies” is paltering. As MHProNews has noted for some years, citing left-leaning Wikipedia: “Paltering is the active use of selective truthful statements to mislead.”
So,
- there is truth.
- There are partial truths and errors that can be unintended mistakes.
- Then, there are deceptions, which can include paltering and “true lies.”
Hold those thoughts.
David Ditch is the “Senior Policy Analyst, Budget Policy, Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget” at The Heritage Foundation. He recently spoke with MHProNews. He provided the following statement.
Ditch’s remarks are like those from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Housing Center previously provided and quoted by MHProNews.
But it isn’t just public officials that are causing the housing crisis. This it the time of year that many reflect and try to absorb the lessons of the past with the goal of learning from those lessons and applying it in the future. Recall the following report? While costs have changed, the core findings – that construction is being throttled – is still true, per various sources.
To illustrate the continuing relevance of the above, consider this Q&A on 12. 23.2023 at about 3:42 PM ET with Bing AI/Bing CoPilot.
> “Marketplace media published a report entitled “Homebuilders are constructing fewer homes … on purpose” (7.29.2021) Isn’t it true that numbers of builders are reportedly doing something similar now?”
The report you mentioned, “Homebuilders are constructing fewer homes … on purpose” by Marketplace, was published on July 29, 2021 1. It highlights the fact that despite a hot housing market, new data from Zonda show that 85% of homebuilders are intentionally capping their sales 1.
I hope this helps!
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> “Ok. Beyond conventional home builders caping sales, HUD PD&R researchers Pamela Blumenthal and Regina Gray have said that public officials have known for 50 years the problematic role that zoning barriers are causing and how that is also throttling new housing construction, isn’t that correct? Can you quote, document via link, and elaborate on those impacts on the U.S. housing crisis?”
Yes, that is correct. According to a report by HUD PD&R researchers Pamela Blumenthal and Regina Gray, regulatory barriers such as zoning restrictions have been a major impediment to the production of affordable housing in the United States for more than 50 years 1. These regulations limit the number of new units that can be built or impose significant costs on development through fees and long approval processes, driving up housing costs 1. The report also highlights that the United States needs more housing, and more varied types of housing, to meet households’ needs throughout the country 1.
The report further states that the consequences of inadequate supply are higher housing costs for both renting and buying a home 1. More than 37 million renter and owner households spent more than 30 percent of their income for housing in 2019 1. Without significant new supply, cost burdens are likely to increase as current home prices reach all-time highs, with the median home sales price reaching nearly $375,000 by July 2021 1.
You can read the full report by Blumenthal and Gray on the HUD User website 1.
I hope this helps!
> “To the points made in 2 of 30, James A. “Jim” Schmitz Jr. and his fellow researchers at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve have said that HUD and conventional builders for years have “sabotaged” the manufactured housing market, and has thereby thwarted the more robust deployment of HUD Code manufactured homes, isn’t that correct? Can you link and elaborate on that topic as needed?”
A recent article by Pew Trusts states that applications for manufactured home financing are denied far more frequently than applications for site-built home financing 2. In 2021, lenders denied 54% of completed applications for financing to purchase a manufactured home, while for site-built home buyers, the rate was just 7% 2. This lack of financing has shut out many prospective buyers from the manufactured housing market 2.
I hope this helps!
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Postscript
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and all readers like you, as well as our tipsters/sources, sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
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