Readers comment on proposed zoning changes, high GRU bills, inflation and more

Zoning hasn’t helped

I suggest those city leaders supporting the elimination of single-family zoning in the city of Gainesville take a walk or ride around the area from downtown Gainesville to the University of Florida, up and down west 13th Street, Northwest First Street and Northwest Fifth Avenue. They will find that literally hundreds of previously low-income housing has been eliminated and replaced with new apartments, duplexes and quadraplexes — none of which are low-income housing.

This was the result of zoning changes in these areas by our city leaders. The obvious question is why our city leaders expect such a change in zoning throughout the city will result in any low-income housing. If they want low-income housing, it will have to come through direct support of such housing, including Habitat for Humanity, the Housing Authority and similar programs whose goal is to provide low-income housing.

Believing that private developers will produce such housing is in the same vein as those who believed in the viability of the renewable energy plant at Gainesville Regional Utilities.

Bruce Hoffman, Gainesville 

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Struggling with GRU bills

Gainesville Regional Utilities provides assistance to low-income families. What about low middle-class families? We too are struggling!

I have a 1,500-square-foot block home with a metal roof, brand-new windows and HVAC. During the day my AC is at 78, which is very hot considering I work from home, and at night, while I'd love to have it at 68, it's set to 72.

It's just the two of us. We don't watch TV or play video games — we read, converse, cook, and listen to music. Last month, my bill was $183. I called twice expressing that I knew something was wrong. They sent someone out to read the meters. I called to verify the findings. Again, I was told everything is correct and that I will not have a high bill next month.

I just received a bill for $1,100. I called back. Finally, they acknowledged their error but the only thing to be done is set up payment arrangements.

As a lifelong Gainesville resident who now owns a home that is not within the city limits, I do not get a choice in city elections. Since I don't have the right to vote, I should be allowed to choose my electricity provider.

Jordan L. Morgan, Gainesville 

Simplistic explanation

Michael McDowell’s analysis (column, June 29) blaming inflation on the American Rescue Plan is as notable for what it does not mention as it is for what it does, particularly his failure to discuss the pandemic (losses in production and supply chain interruptions) and the war in Ukraine (impacting oil prices and causing global wheat shortages).

Both the pandemic and the Russian war on Ukraine are global phenomena, seriously affecting the world economy and driving global inflation in our interconnected world. Thus, to state the obvious, economic phenomena frequently have significant non-economic factors among their causes and drivers.  

Attributing causality to a single issue for a complex phenomenon is reductionist and simplistic. Did the American Rescue Plan contribute to the rate of inflation? To some extent, it may be one of several intertwined factors driving inflation, but what was the alternative? Should the previous and current administrations have ignored the grievous losses experienced by millions of U.S. citizens?

Was the American Rescue Plan the only cause? Far from it. Attributing sole causality of inflation to President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan makes McDowell’s analysis much more of a blatant political statement than a serious explanation of a complex and difficult economic problem.

Tony Oliver-Smith, Gainesville 

Powerful voice

Thank you for The Sun’s June 29 article on the passing of Father Les Singleton. The pictures in the article were especially great.

I would only take exception to the opinion that he had a booming voice when he spoke but just an OK singing voice. While he never claimed to be “a singer,” for decades Father Les participated in Shape Note group sings in Alachua County and Tallahassee, and all over the central and northern portions of Florida and even southern Georgia.

He loved to sing and had a strong and powerful bass voice that often "carried" the bass section at singing events. We miss him.

Karen Evans, Gainesville

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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Letters on Gainesville zoning changes, high GRU bills, inflation, more