From: rj@rjmueller.net <rj@rjmueller.net>
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2024 3:37 PM
To: ‘Mayor’ <Mayor@ocfl.net>; ‘district1@ocfl.net’ <district1@ocfl.net>; ‘district2@ocfl.net’ <district2@ocfl.net>; ‘district3@ocfl.net’ <district3@ocfl.net>; ‘district4@ocfl.net’ <district4@ocfl.net>; ‘District5, Mail’ <District5@ocfl.net>; ‘District6@ocfl.net’ <District6@ocfl.net>
Subject: The (Forgotten And Neglected) FAN class
Dear Board of Orange County (Florida) Commissioners,
Excuse the long diatribe but it is well past time my class speaks out. I do hope someone reads this. I’m not a registered Republican or Democrat so this is not a partisan email. It is just plain reality. As policymakers and elected officials, it is your duty to support all residents of Orange County and ensure a strong economy for the taxpayers in Orange County.
The FAN Problem: How the Middle Class Is Forgotten and Neglected—and Burdened:
I’m introducing a new acronym: FAN, which stands for Forgotten And Neglected. It represents the middle class—a group that, despite being the backbone of the economy, is increasingly overlooked and burdened by the policies and decisions made at both local and national levels. While there are numerous programs designed to help the poor and homeless, the middle class—the FAN class—is often left without support. Instead, we are forced to shoulder the financial burden of these programs, all while receiving fewer benefits in return.
As a FAN member, I feel compelled to speak out on behalf of those of us who are being slowly drained by rising costs, stagnant wages, and diminished services. It’s time to recognize the plight of the middle class and acknowledge the growing strain placed on us by these policies.
Inclusive Solutions: Crafting Policies That Uplift Every Class:
When policymakers make policy, the policy must be made with ALL classes in mind, not just the poor, those in the poverty class, the addicted, the incarcerated, the homeless, or any other class that is in need. Policy should be made that strengthens all classes at the same time and certainly not to the detriment of one over the other. Policymakers will have to think out-of-the-box and come up with creative policies that haven’t been tried yet. That is a tall order and the challenge.
An example of benefiting all classes at the same time:
An example of a policy that benefits all income levels is the lunch program implemented by OCPS, where all students receive lunch regardless of income. I think this is a great policy. Previously, only those below a certain income threshold qualified for the program. Although this lunch initiative helps level the playing field, it still indirectly relies on income as a gauge for aid eligibility. One reason for this shift was to ensure students from low-income families weren’t singled out, similar to how food stamp cards were introduced to reduce stigma. However, it’s worth considering whether someone with a higher income could be worse off financially than someone earning less. I believe this is true more often than people realize.
The Middle Class Burden:
There is a growing imbalance, with the middle class — or the FAN class, as I call it — bearing the burden of sustaining everyone else. We are the water in the hose, primarily responsible for funding programs to support the poor and homeless, yet the pressure this places on us goes largely unrecognized. We’re expected to remain silent, carry this weight, and convince ourselves that it’s for the greater good. But how sustainable is this? While the intent to help the less fortunate is commendable, the impact on the FAN class is severe and often overlooked.
We’re treated like an endless money supply, but slowly, we’re being drained. The middle class is not an infinite resource, and as it continues to shrink, more of us are slipping into the lower class. If this trend continues, the middle class as we know it could disappear. We need to acknowledge the imbalance this system is creating — where the middle class funds these programs but gets little to no support in return. This inequity is not only unjust but threatens the very foundation that sustains our communities.
My main point:
My main point is that the programs and policies aimed at helping those in need must also support the middle class. Excluding the FAN class is unsustainable. It’s crucial to recognize that middle-class families are experiencing unprecedented financial strain. The programs designed to assist those in need must expand their reach to include the middle class as well.
From Middle Class to Forgotten: The Plight of a FAN Widow:
Consider the real plight of a FAN class member, such as a widow in Orange County living on a fixed income, relying solely on Social Security and a modest pension. She worked her entire life, budgeting carefully, making responsible decisions, and striving to be a good citizen. Now, in her elderly years, after her husband’s passing, she is left to fend for herself. Despite owning a home and having just enough income to be classified as ‘middle class,’ she is excluded from financial assistance programs and faces relentless financial pressures.
For instance, her home insurance premiums have jumped by 30%, and her deductible has increased as well. Her electric bill has surged from $200 to $600, with some cases reported on NextDoor of bills reaching $900—an amount that used to cover a full mortgage payment. Additionally, the cost of basic necessities such as eggs, milk, meat, and even toilet paper has skyrocketed, further straining her finances.
How long can she remain in the middle class under such crushing pressure? If she ever needs assisted living, her life savings will be drained by care facilities, leaving nothing for her family. When her funds are exhausted, she’ll be forced to move to a facility that accepts Medicaid, as the current one will no longer keep her, making room for someone else who will lose their savings in the same way. This scenario is all too common: someone who worked hard their entire life ends up in poverty. This isn’t just an oversight—it’s the design of a system that effectively drains the middle class and discards them when they can no longer sustain themselves.
The Vanishing Middle Class: My Decline into the FAN Reality:
Let me share a personal example of why I no longer consider myself part of the middle class, but firmly within the FAN class. I believe there are hundreds of thousands of people in the same situation. Over the past 20 years, my income has barely increased, and for the last five years, it has stagnated completely, significantly eroding my buying power as my fixed costs have skyrocketed. If I didn’t already own a home, there’s no way my current income would allow me to afford the house I live in today. My income simply wouldn’t support the mortgage payments I’d be facing.
With inflation pushing home mortgage rates to around 6.51% for a 30-year fixed loan, the cost would be unaffordable. For a $600,000 home, this translates to a monthly mortgage payment of roughly $3,796—well beyond what my income could cover. On top of that, I would also need to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI), which adds another 0.5% to 1% of the loan amount annually. For a $600,000 home, that would mean an additional $250 to $500 per month, bringing the total mortgage payment to about $4,046 to $4,296—completely out of reach for me. This situation is absurd.
So what does that make me? What class do I belong to now? I’m certainly not middle class, and I’m sure many others in the FAN class are facing the same reality. We are not middle class anymore; we are FAN.
A Crumbling Foundation: How the FAN Class is Forced to Bear the Burden:
Here’s another real example of the eroding FAN class. Consider a middle-income couple in their 60s with grown children. Some of their children are managing with jobs and families of their own, but one child is struggling, living on a low income and barely making rent, just above the threshold for financial aid. This child has six kids, having adopted three from a sibling on the spouse’s side due to their parents’ drug addiction and repeated incarcerations. The children’s biological parents, an unmarried couple, receive free benefits due to their income status and addiction, including free methadone.
Meanwhile, the struggling family lives in a small rental home, constantly short on money to feed six children and unable to afford reliable transportation. Their vehicles frequently break down, making it difficult to get to work, and the kids are struggling in school due to the stress of their living conditions. Eventually, they hit a breaking point and are forced to move in with the FAN parents because they have no other option.
Now, this ‘middle-income’ couple has to accommodate eight additional people in their home. This is a stark example of how rising costs and stagnant wages are tearing families apart. The American dream, once attainable, is being destroyed in this environment.
Burdened and Overlooked: The Forgotten Struggles of the FAN Class:
Contrast this with the lower-income class, who receive much more assistance. Increasingly, the homeless are provided housing either for free or at very low cost, while the FAN class pays thousands in housing costs and, in effect, supports these programs. Incarcerated individuals receive free housing, and in Orange County, 43% of them are diagnosed with mental health issues, receiving free treatment, while the FAN class pays thousands for healthcare, including the full price for mental health care. If you ask anyone in the FAN class dealing with a family member struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction, they’ll tell you the same story: someone with no money can get all this care for free, while the FAN class often goes bankrupt trying to save their loved ones. Meanwhile, they continue to support low-income mental health and substance abuse centers with no relief for themselves.
Recently, a commissioner even suggested turning Fashion Square Mall into a homeless shelter with tiny homes. But who pays for that? The FAN class does. Has anyone asked the FAN residents living nearby how they feel about this idea?
This isn’t about denying aid to those in need; it’s about recognizing that the middle class is being neglected and burdened, while their financial struggles go unacknowledged.
Tuition Troubles: How the FAN Class Pays the Price for a Broken System:
Consider the issue of college tuition. Low-income families often receive free tuition through Pell Grants, while the FAN class pays thousands to educate their children or, in some cases, can’t afford to send them to college at all and don’t qualify for Pell Grants. With college tuition skyrocketing, our kids are becoming financial slaves to student loan debt, handed out like candy. This stark disparity highlights how the middle class is consistently overlooked, shouldering the burden of rising costs and diminishing returns while supporting low-income recipients. Is this a fair system?
At a recent board meeting, one commissioner openly admitted she isn’t paying her tuition, hoping the government will forgive it. But who will ultimately pay her debt? The FAN class, not the government. The government has no money without FAN taxpayers. Many in the FAN class took out loans, worked hard, and paid them back, often juggling jobs while attending school. Now, people like this commissioner expect us to cover their debt.
What makes this even more troubling is that this same commission just voted themselves a substantial pay raise. The Board of County Commissioners approved an increase of about 25% for themselves and the mayor. Commissioners’ salaries jumped from around $91,158 to $113,608, a raise of approximately $22,450 or 24.58%. Mayor Jerry Demings will also see his salary increase from $183,000 to $227,812. They justified this by saying it aligns with the pay scales of other large Florida counties. But when was the last time the FAN class received a 25% pay raise? And even with this significant raise, we are still expected to pay off a commissioner’s student loan debt?
Taxed and Neglected: How the FAN Class Funds Diminishing Services:
Even when it comes to basic county services, the FAN class is expected to pay more. I live just half a mile from a fire station, and a fire truck or emergency vehicle can reach my house in 3 minutes. During the last budget hearing, the fire chief explained that firefighters are underpaid, need new equipment, and some fire stations, like one operating out of a strip mall restaurant, require improvements. This led to a 0.6 millage increase approved by the Board of County Commissioners. But how does this benefit me directly? Will my services improve? I doubt it. Yet I have no choice but to pay this mandated tax increase. My recent tax bill shows that Fire and EMS costs jumped from $456.46 to $600.15—a 31.4% increase. Overall, my taxes increased by 7.7% this year. How can a person on a fixed income afford this? They can’t.
To make matters worse, even our garbage collection services have declined. More often than not, the trucks are late, and sometimes they don’t come on the designated day at all, arriving the next day instead. This leaves garbage cans out overnight, vulnerable to bears and raccoons. We pay more for these diminished services, yet the quality continues to decline.
We also rely on the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for protection, and while I fully support law enforcement, we rarely see them. In East Orange County, we have the largest district, yet it’s manned by only a handful of deputies. If an accident occurs, we often wait hours for a deputy or FHP to respond, and this has become the norm. As necessary as it is for deputies to receive pay raises to compete with neighboring municipalities, where does that money come from? Once again, the FAN class pays more for the common good but doesn’t see improved services—in fact, we often receive less. Meanwhile, those in lower-income areas, who pay little to nothing, may even receive better protection if they live in a high-crime area.
This is the reality: we continue to shoulder the financial burden, but the services we rely on are either stagnant or in decline.
Priced Out: How Urban Sprawl and Corporate Buyers Are Crushing the FAN Class:
We also face the relentless march of urban sprawl, which continues to degrade the quality of life for residents while benefiting developers at the expense of the FAN class. Often, this development happens without sufficient provisions for infrastructure, schools, and other basic needs, leaving the existing community to shoulder the costs—evident in our ever-increasing tax bills. Developers should be required to cover these expenses, but too often, they are allowed to build without ensuring the necessary support systems are in place, further worsening urban sprawl. This is why the mayor is pushing for a one percent increase in sales tax.
In addition, developers need to be incentivized to build affordable housing that local residents can actually afford. Instead, we’re seeing a surge in $600,000 homes that only transplants from places like California, with significant home equity, can afford. This leaves local residents—those who want to buy a home and establish a life here—completely priced out of the market. Take developments like Sustanee or the Grow, for example. What middle-class family in Orange County can afford these homes unless they’re transplants bringing equity from another home? When asked why affordable housing isn’t being built, developers often respond with one word: Economics. They won’t build unless they can fully optimize profits.
To make matters worse, major financial institutions are now purchasing homes and apartments, deliberately inflating home values and rental prices. This practice makes it even harder for FAN families to afford a home, as they’re forced to compete with corporate buyers who can outbid them at every turn. Not only does this drive up prices, but it also disrupts the traditional housing market, pushing more families into renting at exorbitant rates and making the dream of homeownership increasingly unattainable.
Teachers in Crisis: How Florida’s Educators Are Being Pushed Out of the Middle Class:
After listening to the Orange County Public School board meeting on 8/13/2024, I was shocked by the discussion around affordable housing for teachers. How did we get to the point where the school board is considering assisting teachers with affordable housing? It’s a glaring indication of a deeper issue: teachers can’t afford to live in Florida. They are no longer middle class; they are members of the FAN class. While the board’s efforts to address this are commendable, the situation itself is deeply concerning. Teachers, who should be solidly middle class, have been pushed down into low-income status.
The average salary for a teacher in Florida is $55,600, which is far below what’s needed to afford a home. With the average home price in Florida at $478,500, a person would need to earn between $117,840 and $126,000 to afford it. Teachers make less than half that, forcing them into renting. Yet, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Florida is around $1,682 per month, requiring an income of $67,280—again, far above what a teacher makes. It’s clear that teachers cannot afford to live in Florida.
While the school board is trying to provide relief with affordable housing, who will qualify? Likely, it will be those with the lowest salaries, which could create a disparity. Teachers at the lower end of the pay scale may end up receiving housing benefits, leapfrogging their peers who have been in the system longer and make slightly more. For example, if there are 25,000 employees in OCPS, what happens to the other 24,960 who don’t receive this benefit? A teacher with 20 years of experience at OCPS, making more, could be bypassed by one of the 40 selected for affordable housing. Is that fair? Once again, the FAN class is penalized for earning slightly more.
The Forgotten Taxpayers: How the FAN Class Foots the Bill for Everyone Else:
In all the county commissioner meetings I watch online, I always hear about the homeless and affordable housing. During budget planning, I see an endless parade of non-profit organizations and TDT groups asking for funding. But never once have I heard anyone mention the FAN class. Why is that? We are the ones paying the taxes, pushing the water through the fire hose, and funding all these free services. We’re also the ones cleaning up the mess left by developers. The least we can expect is for the county to acknowledge us and do everything they can to protect the FAN class and provide the premium services we pay for.
The Shrinking Return: What the FAN Class Deserves but Doesn’t Get:
The middle class doesn’t ask for much, but like the proverbial frog in the pot, we’ve gradually lost what we once had. We expect the basics: reliable garbage collection, fire and police protection, clean water, a good school system, and the ability to meet our financial obligations at a fair price. Yet, we’re constantly facing new challenges. Fixed incomes don’t keep pace with the rising cost of living, while home insurance rates, electric bills, and utility costs continue to soar. Home prices and millage rates increase, and inflation steadily chips away at our purchasing power.
And what do we get in return? County initiatives that only make our struggles worse. Taxes keep rising, new sales taxes are introduced to support infrastructure that should already be covered by existing taxes, and urban sprawl, fueled by developers, continues to erode our communities and quality of life.
Summary—Endangered and Overlooked: The FAN Class in Crisis:
So, I ask you, is the middle class truly still the middle class? Or are we, due to these relentless rising costs, becoming an endangered species? We’re left to fend for ourselves, watching as our money is siphoned off to support a never-ending stream of people with their hands out. It’s well past time to take a hard look at the policies and decisions being made and consider their impact on the FAN class before it’s too late. We are truly FAN—Forgotten and Neglected.
A Call for Balance: Policies That Support Both the Needy and the FAN Class:
The solution, once again, is this: As policymakers, your role is to create policies that sustain the people who live here. So, to my main point—what policies are you implementing that will help both those in need and the FAN class? The key word here is ‘AND.’ Think outside the box and challenge yourselves to develop policies that strengthen all classes simultaneously.
In a follow-up email, I will provide specific suggestions and ideas for how we can create such policies. I hope you will consider them thoughtfully as we work together to build a stronger, more equitable Orange County.
Sincerely,
RJ Mueller
Member of FAN lobbying for the Middle Class