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Concord is lost
on affordable housing
Re. “Concord rejects housing developers’ proposal,” Page B1, May 26:
The recent attempt by Seeno-backed First Partners to acquire property rights to the Concord Naval Weapons Station before it commits to development planning is just the latest indication that when it comes to affordable housing the city of Concord is clueless.
This marks the latest attempt by the city to get a developer to agree to use high-priced union labor, the last ending in disaster after the developer realized the deal would leave it with zero profits. Now it’s Seeno’s turn to balk at the deal. The City Council agreed to an extension until after the fall election to let things cool, but you can bet on them sticking with their union friends when the extension comes up next January.
Concord will never learn — if you want a union-only development, you can forget affordability or profits. It just doesn’t pencil out.
Jack Weir
Pleasant Hill
Support for GOP
is support for guns
Re. “Criticism growing over police response to school shooting,” Page A1, May 27:
I couldn’t bring myself to read the article. I saw the photos of the dead children and their teachers and it turned my stomach.
Meanwhile, Republicans have moved on from “thoughts and prayers” and now blame mental health, not the guns, anything but the guns. After blaming mental health, their next step is nothing. Their lack of action speaks volumes. If the pandemic didn’t show Republicans’ callous value for human life, the ongoing massacre of innocent children and other U.S. citizens does. Rather than find a way to stop this, they’ll fight to their last breath for their precious killing machines. While Republicans vilify Democrats for laughable issues like being woke, their transgressions are exponentially worse.
I’ve long since stopped wondering why GOP leaders espouse lies and permit violence they could prevent. I have turned my attention to their supporters and asking how they can still support them.
Don Morgan
Concord
Protect Seven Hills from
outsized development
Walnut Creek has a unique balance of urban and natural spaces that are critical for healthy living and fighting climate change. That will be destroyed if the Seven Hills ranch is rezoned with the Spieker proposal for an outsized development in the middle of a residential neighborhood, next to Heather Farm Park.
Walnut Creek already has a large community for seniors in Rossmoor. We do not need to kill 400 mature trees, including California oaks, eliminate a key wildlife corridor, and destroy a nationally recognized home and migration stopover for birds and wildlife and replace it with an inaccessible gated community that will have a permanent impact on the neighborhood with additional traffic and pollution.
The county should reject the rezoning for the Spieker proposal. We can and should do better to preserve this space for future generations and our fight against climate change.
Radhika Srinivasan
Walnut Creek
Enacting sensible gun
laws makes difference
Re. “18 kids killed in school shooting,” Page A1, May 25:
The Second Amendment enshrines gun ownership, nevertheless, gun usage can and should be regulated, to preserve our safety and security.
We need laws to regulate gun use like automobile use is regulated:
• License gun owners for usage only after they pass periodic safety tests.
• Require periodic inspection of licensed people’s arsenals to enforce modification prohibitions (like smog checks on automobiles).
• Require gun users to carry insurance for damage done by their guns.
• Maintain and enforce background check databases to restrict guns from criminals, terrorists and mentally ill people.
• Require a three-day pause before gun delivery.
• Enable “red flag” powers for police to temporarily confiscate a person’s armaments.
• Prohibit gun makers from marketing their lethal products to minors.
• Raise the minimum age for gun ownership to 21, or even 25.
• Prohibit sale, transfer, and ownership of military-grade weapons.
These are sensible regulations.
Bruce Joffe
Piedmont
Source: www.mercurynews.com