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Monday, March 3, 2008

A Question for the AP Reporter Covering the Eco-Arson in Woodinville…

posted by on March 3 at 14:59 PM

If they were really “seven-figure dream homes,” then how come no one had bought them?

(This provides some of the answer, as does this and this.)

Obviously, I don’t condone burning down houses (even unoccupied, unsold “eco-dream homes”)—for one thing, it obliterates the efforts of mainstream enviros to get the word out about the real, catastrophic climate impacts of choices like living in the suburbs. But the statement the ELF allegedly spray-painted on a sign at the arson scene—“McMansions in [rural cluster developments] r not green,” is neither debatable nor particularly controversial.

RSS icon Comments

1

Don't you mean "the statement ELF ALLEGEDLY spray-painted on a sign at the arson scene"?

Or have they contacted the media to take credit for the arson?

Posted by COMTE | March 3, 2008 3:01 PM
2

Was this all before or after the camel-tagging?

Posted by Mr. Poe | March 3, 2008 3:04 PM
3

Exactly COMTE... I am thinking the idea of insurance scam is a bit more plausible.

Posted by Bald Face Lie | March 3, 2008 3:06 PM
4

I think MedC did it.

Posted by MedC is an Elf! | March 3, 2008 3:07 PM
5

They WERE dream homes - ya see what Clinton's continuing attacks on Obama are doing!

Posted by umvue | March 3, 2008 3:08 PM
6

it is completely impossible to be 'ecological' in a brand-new building on previously undeveloped land. period.

Posted by pretentious | March 3, 2008 3:14 PM
7

Changed it to "alleged."

Posted by ECB | March 3, 2008 3:23 PM
8

why would enviro mentals bomb these homes when it's quite obvious due to recent trends that these suburban tracts will be abandoned for years to come, inevitable being overrun by weeds,vines and trees...I fyou ask me this smells like an insurance scam

Posted by linus | March 3, 2008 3:28 PM
9

it wasn't an ELF - it was a DROW

Posted by bobcat | March 3, 2008 3:31 PM
10

And since, even with the increased VA loan limits and FHA loan limits, they weren't eligible for mortgages, could anyone actually BUY them?

Wanted to sell, Fremont condo, only $50,000,000 (ok, so I bought it for $265,000 but if you want an eight figure house, there you go)!

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 3, 2008 3:39 PM
11

Insurance scam doesn't make a ton of sense to me. When you insure a house, you only insure the actual structure, and in general, the land is worth more than the structure. So, if they decided to rebuild under their Course of Construction policy, it would cover the cost of labor and materials, but during that time, they'd still be on the hook for their mortgage payments, so they'd be sinking a bit further into the hole each month. Also, if they don't rebuild, they don't get the full payment. They'll lose out of the labor costs entirely, and receive the depreciated value of the building goods as determined by antagonistic adjustors. The only people who wouldn't experience increased costs would be the people who actually worked for the contractor. They've been paid.

Posted by Gitai | March 3, 2008 3:41 PM
12

maybe insurance isint the cause but I would think there would be better targets then abandoned houses which wont be sold for years if ever....now if drunken sqy=uatters accedintly burned the place down i could belive that

Posted by linus | March 3, 2008 3:47 PM
13

@11,

Land in the exurbs is more valuable than the homes themselves? Pshaw.

Posted by keshmeshi | March 3, 2008 3:53 PM
14
If they were really “seven-figure dream homes,” then how come no one had bought them?

Umm, because they were built right when the housing market was tanking and now we're in a recession? Just a guess.

Posted by Big Sven | March 3, 2008 3:54 PM
15

I've always been rather offended by the phrase "Street of Dreams." It begs, "To whose dreams are you referring?"

What an arrogant assumption that I'd want to go ogle someone else's money! For one thing, it's tacky beyond words, and for another, those people eat that shit up and I'm not going to feed them.

Posted by Bauhaus | March 3, 2008 4:01 PM
16

Just because something is possible does not mean it is probable. Re: Insurance Fraud.

Posted by raindrop@hotmail.com | March 3, 2008 4:18 PM
17

Um, Erica, it is not obvious that you don't condone eco-terrorism. Good to know you reject and denounce it, 'cause, well, who knows what you'd condone?

Posted by elenchos | March 3, 2008 4:22 PM
18

I'm still trying to figure out if "r not green" are the words of a moron ecoterrorist or someone trying to sound like a moron ecoterrorist.

Posted by keshmeshi | March 3, 2008 4:25 PM
19

The odds that a bunch of different developers (with some of the best reputations in their industry) would conspire to hire someone to use explosives to blow up the houses and blame the ELF with a spray-painted sheet seems pretty far-fetched.

Whereas ecoterrorists blowing up one of the area's most ostentatious displays of housing development run amok seems all too likely, given their history.

Posted by tomcat98109 | March 3, 2008 4:49 PM
20

its probably ELF.

they're like democrats that way; snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. the silly hippy on trial for being a lookout is going to the big house till she's 50 thanks to this move. which is pointless.

this time, we agree on the target.

Posted by max solomon | March 3, 2008 4:55 PM
21

Really, it was ELF.

Trust us.

And go investigate them, not us, especially while we cash the insurance checks ...

Posted by Manchurian Dream Homes | March 3, 2008 5:05 PM
22

A couple interesting comments posted to Huffpost coverage:

The ELF does not, in fact, exist.

Not in the same way that The Rotary Club exists, at any rate. There is no club, there are no officers, no membership, no dues, no orders, no centralised intelligence, nothing. If you ever research ELF you will see that it is basically the same thing as the phrase "Don't Tread On Me" - it's just a slogan.

The reason the FBI can't defeat ELF is probably the same reason Bush can't beat Al Quaeda, and that is because both of them allow anyone to do anything and then claim membership.

These homes were torched, but if they didn't write ELF on it, like every other instance of ELF action, why blame it on them?

Personally, the "green" building techniques are a great step in the right direction for all builders to utilise. Don't blame ELF.



The FBI estimates that more than 50% of the protesters in the late 60s and early 70s were actually agent provocateurs who;s job was to incite formerly peaceful groups to commit acts of violence (which the agents led) in an attempt to discredit the movement. While it is true that a number of radical environmental groups have taken action, our National history is so full of outright manipulation (J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, for example) that it is impossible to know the truth behind this. Who has more to gain, a development industry facing more and more scrutiny it would like to discredit? or a bunch of idealists without a pot to pee in who see no financial return on the act? I am very, very suspicious. I do not condone these acts, but how many people lost their homes when they refused to sell to big business looking to put in a disastrous sprawl over former crop land? Why isn't that terrorism? These kinds of acts have happened countless times in our history and are often indicative of a broken justice system that values a few wealthy contributors/friends/cronies over everybody else.



Posted by Phil M | March 3, 2008 6:11 PM
23

You know Erica,

If just a single self-respecting male saw fit to stick his dick into you one single time and give you a baby, you may see the need to live in the Suburbs.

Otherwise, STFU.

Posted by ecce homo | March 3, 2008 7:19 PM
24

Oh Ecce....

I know that you think living in downtown Auburn counts as "the suburbs", and you have this silly recurring fantasy about having a "partner" and "kids" but you really need to separate your "play" thoughts from your "real" thoughts.

Further, if you were a more pleasant person, you might actually have a chance at getting that partner and kids. You're not THAT old, and you're not THAT ugly, especially now that you got those government dentures.

Posted by catalina vel-duray | March 3, 2008 7:30 PM
25

Goofed. I do have a hotmail account but it isn't raindrop. Hope nobody spammed that address.

Posted by raindrop | March 3, 2008 7:30 PM
26

Ecce, you obviously haven't seen the homes in question. I live nearby (in a thirty-five year old house on three acres with animals so stand down) and the houses in question are not the suburbs, they're closer together than most houses in Woodinville proper. The only reason they're on 3/4 acre lots is because the houses are HUGE and their footprint takes up almost the entire lot. I drove by them and marveled at their being billed as "family friendly" when the yards were as small as postage stamps. They're basically penthouses on the ground without any access to city services that normally comes with condos. For 2 million dollars. The only good thing they have going for them for children is that they're in a great school district.

I wasn't shocked that none of them sold and they had reduced the asking price of a few by $200,000 the last time I checked.

Posted by Kate | March 4, 2008 7:19 AM
27

These idiot Christian developers are ruining are farmlands. What we need are more Urban Geniuses like Martin Seilig and Sam Israel, the two men most responsible for how Seattle looks today.

I also think of the beautiful dense settlements in rural Israel where Jews from all over the world live together. The idiot Palestinians were living in sprawled out farms wasting valuable land. Then Jewish settlers built dense urban style mini-towns in the midst of the farmland. Many of these settlers are Urbane, educated, men and women from the world's great cities.

Some days I just hate Seattle's Christians and how they are ruining this city and the farmland around it. Why can't we copy an Israel style settlement out in Carnation?

Posted by Issur | March 4, 2008 9:29 AM
28

Request to off comment 23? Anyone?

Posted by mackro mackro | March 4, 2008 9:37 AM
29

And while we're offing 23's post, can we arrange some counseling for 27?

Posted by Joe M | March 4, 2008 9:57 AM
30

It doesn't surprise me that when I defend Israel on Slog I must submit to anti-semitic comments. Seattle is so Christian and ignorant. I miss Manhattan where I didn't have to deal with these idiots.

Posted by Issur | March 4, 2008 10:18 AM
31

ref: animal with some wisdom, Ecce - and suburbs

I grew up in Bellevue, several acres animals, crafts, old car, nice neighbors, many peer group friends for years, lots of outside living, giant garden, woods, good schools, how could there be a better place for kids?

Now on the Hill, but watch too much TV, tired of bars, anxiety about street violence, noise pit, wonder if the older set is better off in the burbs as well......???

My reduced consumption lifestyle will work anywhere ... I think.

Posted by Freddy | March 4, 2008 11:06 AM
32

According to some Eastside clients that live in the area, those Street of Dream homes were not just built on wetlands, but basically over subterranean lakes.

They would be very surprised if they had not already started to settle, or sink....

Posted by NapoleonXIV | March 4, 2008 2:12 PM
33

Most likely no one had bought them because when a Street of Dreams development gets done they have a big deal open house tour so people who might want to buy them can come see them, and other people can come and gawk at them. But that would be a boring answer, eh? Eric C.'s the sort who says Port Townsend deserves to lose its ferry service because it's just a ritzy suburb for Microsofties. Never mind it takes two fucking hours to drive there.

Posted by Waldo | March 4, 2008 2:15 PM

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