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Point Molate is only
a start to repay tribes
Re. “Tribe to own Point Molate,” Page A1, May 29:
I like the idea of Point Molate going back to a Native American tribe for $400. The city of Richmond bought the land from the Navy for $1, so the return on investment is excellent, despite the city spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and land maintenance costs.
When one considers reparations (not even mentioned in the article) to Native Americans for the loss of their land, vast tracts of other good lands should be returned to them. If the island of Manhattan was purchased for about $24, I think we as a country can afford to return many more pieces of property to the original inhabitants.
Dan Crouch
Oakland
Seven Hills doesn’t
pencil out for seniors
Re: “Seven Hills is right choice for seniors,” Page A6, June 7:
As a senior, I disagree that a senior home with an entry fee of $500,000 and a monthly cost of $4,000-$6,000 is right for me or Walnut Creek.
The reason I moved to Walnut Creek many years ago is its beauty and ease of life. The letter-writer says we have “a lot” of parks, and that potential residents of the new senior facility would leave the state if it isn’t built. I believe our area already has a lot of senior care facilities. There is no mention of the years of disruption caused by the construction of this huge complex, and the traffic that 400 cars per day would create in a quiet neighborhood after it’s built.
I walk to Seven Hills Ranch several times a week, to take in its beauty and enjoy the quiet. Saving Seven Hills Ranch will save so much more.
Sam Van Zandt
Walnut Creek
Oakland rent control
brings consequences
Re. “Rent control: Oakland will cap rent increases at 3% under new ordinance,” May 31:
I hope the Oakland City Council is aware of the law of unintended consequences. Last night, without analysis, they placed an arbitrary 3% cap on rent increases. What will be the consequences?
Property tax is based on valuation. Valuation is based on rent. The rent cap wipes out hundreds of millions of dollars in property values overnight. So millions less in future city property tax revenue — millions less in the general fund.
Also, property owners — even those who care about their residents — already squeezed by prices rising much more than 3%, will do less renovation and make the bare minimum in repairs. So — fewer appliances sold, fewer contractors hired … less sales tax revenue and less income for workers.
What’s the long-term result? A permanent class of sub-standard housing. Is that what the council intended?
There are more targeted ways of helping renters in need.
Tom Richman
Oakland
Court must reinterpret
Second Amendment
Gun advocates never quote the full Second Amendment, only the last part: “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” In full the Second Amendment says, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
This was written in 1791 when America has just fought a war on its own soil, had a standing army of only 5,000 soldiers, and there were only 4 million Americans.
Now with 2 million military personnel and a population of 332 million, there is no longer a need for a private, arms-bearing militia. The original context is irrelevant.
Our deadlocked politicians will never acknowledge this. Therefore, it falls to the Supreme Court to reinterpret the Second Amendment and take a life-saving step by restricting the sale of firearms to individuals.
Daniel Wichlan
Pleasant Hill
Story of ‘good guy’
with gun goes missing
I am wondering why I cannot find any reference in the East Bay Times to news that a Virginia woman is credited with shooting a gunman May 25 with her legally owned handgun.
The man drove up to an apartment complex where school children and teenagers were having a daytime party. The man started shooting at the families with an AR-15-style rifle, but before he could kill anyone, one of the mothers in attendance drew her legally owned handgun and shot and killed the gunman before he could kill anyone.
Why is this not front-page news but news of a gunman killing other school kids is news? This is a first-class example of a good person with a gun stopping a bad person with a gun.
Kim Dromlewicz
Walnut Creek
Source: www.mercurynews.com