Letters to the Editor 10-18-15

Our little gem
Editor: Kudos to the Healdsburg Museum team who put together the Healdsburg Immigrants exhibit – and frankly all the exhibits. It is always a pleasure to introduce friends who visit to the museum; I find it a great way to give a more wholistic view of this place, and the people, beyond wine and food. The Immigrants exhibit showcases some of your friends and neighbors’ family histories that began on other continents, as most of us did, lest we forget. I’m proud of our little gem in town and want to make a pitch for everyone to go check out the exhibit(s). You’ll leave enriched and I believe, feeling even more connected to this wonderful place we get to call home. Thanks also to those who shared their family stories and mementos. I learned a lot from them.
Taya Levine
Healdsburg
Not checking
Editor: I am saddened to discover that not one Healdsburg business to which I have spoken uses E-Verify, which is a way of checking an applicant’s Social Security number for accuracy.
Lee Allen
Healdsburg
Don’t open the gates
Editor: Last week the Tribune carried Frank Robertson’s “County Report” that revealed a recent research paper by EPS.  This four-year study confirmed that “high amenity locations such as Sonoma County” (yes Healdsburg) are “losing housing stock to vacation rental uses faster than it can build new housing.” No surprise that the buyers were investors and tourists, but it is shocking that “these investors include an increasing number of international” buyers. The study also said that we need to “preserve workforce housing.” We agree with the conclusions of this study.
But our city council has instructed their select Housing Committee to first loosen the GMO (Growth Management Ordinance).  Sure, now that the economy, which slowed building everywhere, has improved, our GMO could be properly tweaked by citizen vote to allow more units of moderate and low income housing.
We need homes and multi-unit rentals, moderately sized and priced for local seniors and backbone workers, and aspiring young employees or business owners. What we don’t need is to open the gates to dozens of “market rate” homes for the outside investor market.
Warren Watkins
Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions Steering Committee