Letters to the Editor 12-24-15

Zoning reform
Editor: As a resident of Healdsburg, I am concerned about the trend toward a lack of economic diversity among our residents, driven by the skyrocketing cost of housing. How do we stop or at least slow this trend? Naturally, many people may think that rent control, or other government interventions are a solution.
I am writing to argue that this is not the case and to outline another solution we should consider. Rent control would surely benefit a current tenant, by transferring part of the landlord’s asset value to the current tenant. In the long term, however, it will fail, as it has in San Francisco and New York City (both cities known for their affordable housing, right?)
Paul Krugman, a decidedly progressive economist, stated that rent control is “among the best-understood issues in all of economics, and – among economists, anyway – one of the least controversial.”
A price ceiling will reduce long-term supply of housing and create its own upward pressure on rents. Studies of rent control in New York City actually show that renters in rent-controlled housing have higher median incomes than those in market rate housing.
They likely have more resources to secure such housing, meaning that rent controls actually subsidize those more able to afford housing at the expense of those who cannot.
The Bay Area has the lowest return on rental properties of any metropolitan area in the United States, according to data from the New York Times. In the past few years, this return has grown even smaller, as rents have risen quickly, but not rapidly enough to keep up with rising real estate prices.
In my research this seems to be very much the case in Healdsburg, too. The issue is not so much that rents are being driven upward, but that housing stock itself is becoming expensive.
So, how do we bring those down? I think we should listen to the words of Jason Furman, Chairman of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, who previously served in the Clinton administration and worked on Al Gore’s campaign.
Furman sees restrictive zoning and land use regulations as the culprit: “Excessive or unnecessary land use or zoning regulations impede mobility and thus contribute to rising inequality and declining productivity growth. (Some) zoning regulations and other local barriers to housing development allow a small number of individuals to capture the economic benefits of living in a community, thus limiting diversity and mobility. The artificial upward pressure that zoning places on house prices – primarily by functioning as a supply constraint – also may undermine the market forces that would otherwise determine how much housing to build, where to build, and what type to build, leading to a mismatch between the types of housing that households want, what they can afford, and what is available to buy or rent.”
Let me be clear that I am not calling for a wholesale removal of zoning restrictions in our town. The last thing I want is a tasting room as a neighbor or another steal-the-skyline eyesore.
But I would like to call for the City Council to appoint a committee of citizens, with a technocratic consultant to assist, to put together a package of reforms – to zoning and other land use laws that get in the way of affordable housing – for our residents to vote on. This may be our only real chance to keep Healdsburg from turning into one of those towns east of the county line.
Gabriel Froymovich
Healdsburg
Thanks from AAUW
Editor: On a wing and a prayer, Healdsburg AAUW (American Association of University Women) Forum began one year ago in January 2015 with two six-week courses on California history taught by Professor Chris O’Sullivan at the Raven Performing Arts Theater. We chose the name Forum to highlight the idea of educational classes for the community which would build knowledge and enrich thought, and at the same time, be a fundraiser benefiting local educational programs and scholarships for women and girls.
The turnout was extraordinary, with approximately 470 registrants in the two sessions. After expenses, we netted thousands of dollars for local educational causes. Our Fall 2015 courses were also well-attended. The Winter 2016 session, beginning in January, is equally promising, with a continuation of Professor O’Sullivan’s course on the Roosevelts and a new course on “Arab Islam and Its Cities” taught by Professor Douglas Kenning.
It takes a community to put on these courses. We are grateful to Bob Santos, the founding father of Forum, for his help and guidance and for introducing us to renowned scholars for our faculty. We are thankful for the work done by Amoruso Printing, the staff of the Raven, the coverage provided by the Tribune, the loan of a Steinway piano by Mary and Eric Drew for our music course, Redwood Moving and Storage for ably moving the piano, Marisa Ferrell and So Eventful for handling enrollments and the efforts of AAUW members and others who volunteer to make Forum a success.
And, of course, we want to especially thank the wonderful members of our community who enroll in Forum courses and contribute to the cultural life of our community and the local educational programs we support. More information about Forum can be found at healdsburg-ca.aauw.net.
Kay Kohler, Chair
Healdsburg AAUW Forum
Work together for common good
Editor: Thursday’s Tribune (Dec. 17, 2015) contained a letter to the editor regarding conflicts of interest among elected officials. This letter got me thinking about what we citizens of Healdsburg want and expect from one another, be it an elected or appointed official or even our neighbor.
Councilman Ziedrich, who happens to own a lumber company, is asked to donate to every youth, sports, or community project happening at any given time.
Councilman Plass is asked to represent us on the NCPA Board so that we may have cheaper, cleaner power. I would guess he spends 60 hours a month at this for the benefit of us all.
I would offer that anyone who does anything in our small town has a conflict of some kind or another, but I hope this doesn’t stop them from trying to make things better simply because someone has a different point of view.
I would encourage those who have put time and effort and thought into new ideas to bring their plan forward for all to see. There is no value in shooting down new ideas before they can be fully formed, whether because of perceived “conflicts” or anything else.
We are a community that thrives when we work together for the common good. Let’s remember that, and that we are the envy of many because of the small town character and spirit of neighbor helping neighbor that defines us.
Mary Lou Eddinger
Healdsburg