“disparate impact” — a meaningless statistical analysis. BOHICA

Court slams Team Obama on Westchester ‘racism’ charge

 

Every cloud may not have a silver lining, but Westchester County has just found a big one in a legal ruling that will cost it $5 million in federal funds.

The case turns on the Housing & Urban Development Department’s effort at social engineering to end what it claims is rampant housing discrimination in Westchester.

The cloud: The Second Circuit Court of Appeals said that, to get HUD’s money, West­­chester must play by HUD’s rules in complying with a 2009 agreement to build affordable housing in upscale communities.

The silver lining: The judges also said, “There has been no finding, at any point, that West­chester actually engaged in housing discrimination.”

Which is just what County Executive Rob Astorino has been saying for years — and why he continues to battle the Obama administration’s heavy-handed attempts to impose its diversity standards on Westchester.

HUD, in its self-described quest to “remove zip codes as a factor” in Americans’ quality of life, declared Westchester racist solely on the basis of “disparate impact” — a meaningless statistical analysis.

Astorino rightly contends the only barriers to living in the county are economic. But HUD insists anyone has the right to live anywhere — even if they can’t afford it.

Rob Astorino has good reason to feel vindicated. This fight has never been about discrimination, but rather HUD’s arrogant and arbitrary drive to reshape communities from afar.