Fairfax County Chairman, Gerry "Hit and Run" Connolly, not only failed driving school, but he failed market economics as well. The Washington Post reports that Connolly wants to lower housing prices for some residents of Fairfax County (VA) by increasing property taxes on others.

The plan, called "a radical proposal" by board Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D), was devised by a panel of top planning and housing officials from the county and the private sector. Released publicly for the first time yesterday, it calls for dedicating $17.5 million annually -- equivalent to a penny on the real estate tax rate, which is $1.13 per $100 of assessed value -- to keep 1,000 units of housing at affordable rental rates.

Connolly said drastic steps are necessary to address what he called a crisis over affordable housing in the county. The escalating cost of housing is pushing teachers, firefighters and other county services to seek cheaper alternatives far from the county, which in turn creates long commutes and further clogs roads.

The "crisis" over affordable housing has to do with supply and demand. There are many more people that want to live in the D.C. area than there are homes. Until that problem is fixed, prices will continue to skyrocket and subsidies will be doomed to fail. Connolly's proposal is nothing more than socialist redistribution of wealth. He wants to increase taxes some county residents to provide cheaper housing for others.

Workers are moving further outside the county because it's too damned expensive to live here. If their commute becomes too much of a burden, they'll pack up and find a job in some other market. When market economics kick in, Fairfax will simply have to start paying their employees more or risk not being able to attract qualified workers. That's what capitalism is.

The idea that one neighbor who has the ability should help pay the mortgage of another neighbor who has a need smells a lot like communism. As is the nature of the red menace, it will undoubtedly spread. Advocacy groups are already saying it's not enough.

Stephen Wade of the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities, an advocacy group for affordable housing, praised Connolly for taking up the issue.

"Its a good first step for Fairfax," he said. "However, one penny [on the tax rate] per year is only enough to preserve the affordable housing that is there. They should have two cents -- the other one for the production of affordable housing."

Why stop at two cents? Why not a buck? And as always, communism loves company:

He said Fairfax's proposal would lag behind similar efforts in Montgomery County, which raises about $18 million a year, and the District, which raises $40 million.

Ahh, two jewels of a capitalist society. Compared to Berkeley and San Francisco, Montgomery County and the District almost look normal.