If it's gone, the community either loses or makes up the difference.

They just rely on people driving farther and farther to get to work. But for the economy here to grow, we need to provide a place for employees to live. Gas at $2.57 a gallon makes it pretty hard for someone making $12 an hour to drive a long way.

The rule is, you can afford a house about 2 1/2 times your income. Well, you'd be hard-pressed to find a $140,000 house around here anymore.

We have lots of homes for upper income people, but the middle class is being squeezed stagnant wages and the cost of homes rising so fast -- 8 percent, 9 percent a year.

When you start getting 10 percent cuts on top on 23 percent cuts, that's when the decision-making gets difficult.

I've seen their ranging [North Lake Tahoe Tourism and Community Investment] plan - it could be improved upon, but everything could be improved upon. From what I can see, they're doing a good job.