Pacifica Tribune/Letters to the Editor, 2/24/16. "Tribune Kudos" by Jim Wagner
| "We need to address the housing issue as a community." (Jim Wagner) |
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| Let's move forward with affordable housing |
The Tribune calls for affordable housing as one of the few things government can actually facilitate. I agree. We have areas that would support affordable (or, workforce) housing. The Pacifica School District is in the process of exploring the Oddstad site as a possible candidate for housing. Our community college district has had great success in providing their teachers and employees with affordable housing on site at the College of San Mateo. They have a proven, sustainable, model that Pacifica’s leadership should be encouraged to explore more thoroughly.
Once again, I would like to give kudos to the Tribune for wading in on such an important issue as affordable housing. We have many challenges ahead of us and if we have a local paper that cares enough to get involved, well, that’s good news for all of us who desire open and honest discussion."
Submitted by Jim Wagner
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Note: The referenced Pacifica Tribune Editorial, "'Yes to affordable housing, 'No' to Pacifica rent control", appeared in the print version of the Pacifica Tribune, 2/10/16. "Give the Pacifica City Council credit. It tackled the hard question of affordable housing this month and gave it common-sense consideration without giving in to its draconian, look-a-like issue: Rent control. .... Rent control is one giant step in the wrong direction for the long-term economic health of Pacifica."
Note graphic from The City of Titusville, Florida, "Affordable housing"; photograph from The City of Calgary, "Learn about affordable housing."
Posted by Kathy Meeh
35 comments:
Stop with the government housing where you get to pic and choose who gets to live where and when. That is unfair. Pacifica is a small coastal city where residents really don't seem to care, unless you need a place to live, and that seems to be mostly young people. We need more apartments. We need more single family houses. But I refuse to support government building housing for teachers. It's bullshit and unfair. Teachers need to find their own way like everyone else. They are not better than a non-teacher who would not get such "privileged" support from the government. I oppose government picking and choosing. Allow developers to develop their land, with reasonable conditions. Then let the applicants, from all walks of life, apply. Young people , non-teachers, are figuring it out and bunking up with multiple roommates. These are responsible working class 20 somethings. Although, housing for a young, single person is always temporary, if they can figure it out so can a young teacher.
Sounds like someone wants to run for City Council.
Well said 8:45!!! Teachers do make a very good salary. They get more holidays than the post office and also have a generous vacation and retirement package. I say let them fend for themselves like the rest of us have to.
Private day care providers make more money than teachers in Pacifica yet we still have quality teachers at all of our schools. Why?
Every teacher I know that lives in Pacifica probably wouldn't unless they had a partner working in the private sector world. Their license is good any where in California. Do we really want to lose some of our best assets to Fresno or Redding because they can't live here. When the quality of our schools begin to fall you'll see corresponding reductions in the values of your homes. Is that what you want! Oddstad School is district property. They should utilize that property to make the district stronger. Good teachers make a district stronger.
No public school teacher with the decent salary, summers off, hefty pensions and benefits is moving from Pacifica to Fresno or Redding. And, yeah, salaries are livable, particularly after the first few years on the job. CalStrs retirement benefits can't be beat. Don't buy the poor poor teachers story.
Every teacher I know and knew when I was a young working class had a home and then some. Government needs to stay out of who gets what. It is so unfair. Talk about inequality. Bullshit, is what it is. Down with subsidized housing for teachers and other government favorites.
And anyway, who says they would be quality teachers? How can you even guarantee such a notion? Teachers are never graded on performance so therefore we would never even know if they were 'quality' teachers. Sounds like communism to me. Government picks is bad for all of us. UnAmerican. Get lost.
Private day care providers do not make more money than Pacifica teachers.
There are even teachers that live on nimby central Pedro Point.
How many times a day can Jim Wagner announce he's running for city council?
We got it Jim, how big a check do you need?
Hope you're right! He'd be excellent on Council.
Even better as Mayor.
Wagner? When you want it done right, do it yourself? Can't think of anyone better to handle the dismantling of this joke of a town. There's no saving it, although it could be kept on life support for a few years--as long as the sewer fund is, uh, flush. And it will be as long as Council can raise the rates. Same old shenanigans with different players means the political spin will credit survival to a building renaissance. Nothing wrong with some folk making money while the city dies. Oh, I mean we been saved!!! Poo-poo-peedoo!
Can we bring back Julie Lancelle and Sneaky Pete. They would be perfect with space cadet Sue and Keener the Commie.
736 No, there are some new and improved models on the lot. Make those old hippies look like the senior lunch bunch. Maybe Lancelle is ready for the grinder again, but Pedro is enjoying his retirement.
People who work for Pacifica School District need the advantage of housing too.
Seems to me the School District should be able to build whatever housing they deem is needed for their employees. It's their designated land, isn't it?
And 453, in America why should anyone be homeless? Do you think homelessness is a capitalistic virtue and personal choice people make because they will to go hungry and live in the streets.
How much does it really cost this country to NOT provide real shelter (such as unit housing) for those who have none? Think of the wasted lives, and wasted productivity.
How many of you can afford to buy your house with current values? Answer, Not too many!
I wonder if people who work as maids at the Beverly Hills Hilton complain they can not live in Beverly Hills? Or the Meter Readers in Malibu? I wonder if the Beverly Hills Hilton is willing to subsidize housing for their employees?
For you people saying you don't like Commies, you sure would like Russia.
Let's take a look at something interesting. You're able to read this because a teacher taught you how to read. You're able to write a response because a teacher taught you to write. Teachers, good teachers, don't leave their job in the classroom. It comes home with them on evenings and weekends. Papers need to be graded, lesson plans need to be prepared. As for those summer vacations, don't be fooled. There are continuing education credits that need to be completed. Especially for new teachers. And, it's the new teachers, fresh out of college, that bring the excitement and joy of teaching into the classroom. Those are the same teachers that have tens of thousands of dollars in student debt and are at the bottom rung of the pay scale. Those are the teachers that could use some housing help. Not forever, but to keep them in the district until they get onto their feet. Those are the teachers that come to the PSD to teach. Any of you who think teachers have it made don't know any teachers.
Oh, please. I am able to read this because it was my choice to learn how to read. Not a teachers. I hardly attended school. My mother taught me how to read. I was homeschooled. So, your argument is false. Teachers should not be put ahead of other young hard workers. That is communism. No thanks. Teachers need to pull their boot straps up and survive on their own. Makes them smarter. No one wants a coddled teacher.
I have a relative who lost their job and home. This relative is 58 years old. They need housing. They earned it. Paid into the system their whole life. Democrats have destroyed housing. Now they want to give it to young teachers and coddle them. Communism does not work. Government should not pic and choose who gets what. Build apartments and single family homes and let the applicants of all walks of life apply.
Kathy makes a good, practical point that school districts should be able to use their land as they wish. If it's to build housing with special limited term financing for teachers in their district, so be it. They know better than anyone what would help fill teaching positions. IMHO the "poor struggling teacher" stories do nothing but polarize opinions. Most of us have teachers among our families and friends, and they are doing fine in their chosen career. And they have no monopoly on early struggles, student debt, or the need for continuing education. The teachers' unions have done a great job for their members--as they should for this vital profession. Is there a role for the teachers' unions in developing teacher housing? Partnership with the school district? Is there already favorable home financing available for teachers? There should be and with no restrictions on where they want to buy.
Wow, 955 had some Mother! Did the Birchers have a women's brigade?
If I may make a point that the taxpayers pay for it all, not the school district. Without taxpayers, and forced taxation, the school district would not have anything. It's the people, from all walks of life, that allow the school district to survive. Since that is a fact than any housing that is built should be for all people.
You keep using that word – communism. I do not think it means what you think it means.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk
Communism is a system of social organization that envisions a classless society in which all property is publicly owned, the state owns the means of production, and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."
I don't support communism. But to suggest that the school district using its land to build housing for teachers is communism is an incorrect use of the word. So is referring to any city council member as a communist. Some ideas or policies may be too liberal for conservatives, but there isn't a real communist on the council.
Continuing to incorrectly use that word only demonstrates that the person using it doesn't know what he or she is talking about.
But 1033, teachers make such good poster kids for new housing. Warm, fuzzy poster kids needed.
Democrats created this housing mess. SF Supe Peskin wants to build housing for teachers and ktvu employees only. You can't get anymore commie than that. Keep the youth brainwashed and the media in control.
Communsim=a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.
1046 Such a buzz kill you are. Guy needs to say Commie Keener, nothing else will do. I'm surprised he doesn't say Kommie Keener. Wealth Redistributor Keener or Social Liberal Keener, even Left Wing Keener just don't have the same ring to them.
Teachers expecting to purchase a home in the range of $750,000 to over $1,000,000 is being unrealistic. Maybe they can move out to the Central Valley and look at housing for $150,000 to $250,000.
If you can't afford the area, simply move.
1033, school district management is a separate entity from the City, the County, the State, GGNRA, Safeway, Rite Aid, Moss Beach-- but, keep paying your taxes.
I think School District housing would include all employees, not just teachers (any corrections to that please advise).
1022 makes an interesting point that teacher unions may also want to consider housing issues for the benefit of their Members.
In the 21st century it seems more comprehensive education, and understanding of what it is to be human is needed.
955, home schooling is an alternative within the social, collective schooling system-- it's good to move out of 11th century thinking, right 736?
1153, 1204 what created this housing crisis is more people condensed into a limited space geographical area-- including our Bay Area.
Then, compounded by municipalities not moving ahead of the increasing trend. That's all.
None of this has anything to do with your alternative, egocentric, personalized view of what you consider or interpret as "Communism". So here's a primer: Wikipedia/Communism.
Funny thing, shared wealth and community accountability is also built-in to religious and human teachings. Guess they're just a bunch of "commies" according to you.
1216 right, you've offered simplistic (and often undesirable or unrealistic) thinking.
Well high five Kathy Meeh! Having brought order if not meaning to all that^^^would you now go straighten out those, in the words of Lindsay Graham, bat shit Republicans? Rational people may reassure themselves that Trump can't win, but it's beginning to sound like whistling in the dark. Be afraid, be very afraid.
1251, I think Marco Rubio has now accepted the mission of reality attacks on Donald Trump, based upon a speech Rubio made this morning (viewed on CNN).
As for Donald Trump, the issue of the rest of us "being very afraid" seems to depend upon Trump's transient thoughts moment to moment.
Trump will be the Republican nominee. And the next President. The voters love that he says stupid and crazy shit all the time. That's what they want in their president – someone just like them.
Ms. Meeh, you do know the Kardashian endorsement is imminent, don't you? The Repubs have all gone bat shit crazy trying to land that one!
Canada is ready to break ground on a wall if Trump is the nominee. Taking no chances. Mexico thought it over and says, please, build one. Both countries will accept US refugees with papers.
If it wasn't for the OJ Simpson murder trial we would have never known about the Kardashians!
President Trump, The sound of that will make the many liberals in Pacifica swan dive off the Manor overpass.
229 one more reason he's away for a long long time
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