Recent act of anti-Semitism in SLO should bring us together, not drive us apart | Opinion

Love not hate

“Jewish activist: Anti-Semitism is growing in San Luis Obispo,” (sanluisobispo.com, June 13)

Last Sunday morning, I walked out of my house only to discover a hate-filled anti-Semitic flier on my driveway. I have wonderful Jewish neighbors, so this hate speech was even more disturbing to me.

But then a neighbor walked by and said he was collecting all the fliers he could find and destroying them. Several other neighbors, upon hearing about these fliers, were equally disgusted and agreed that, regardless of how you feel about the latest conflict in the Middle East, this action was reprehensible.

So I hope these fliers, far from stirring up hate, will instead bring our community together in solidarity and support for our friends and neighbors.

Don Gaede

San Luis Obispo

Just batty

“Bat and mushroom become California state symbols,” (sanluisobispo.com, Oct. 20)

I share Stephanie Finucane’s views about official state recognition of minutia. As far as bats go, it really should be the 32-ounce variety — perhaps Dodger Blue, Giants’ Orange or disappearing A’s green. But when it comes to the official state nuts, they can all be found in Sacramento, where they waste taxpayer time and money enacting such worthlessness!

Bill Cockshott

Arroyo Grande

Opinion

Clarity and accuracy

“President Joe Biden must call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas | Opinion,” (sanluisobispo.com, Oct. 22)

In regard to last Sunday’s batch of letters to the editor: What is in the water in Atascadero? The letters by Maggie Fertschneider and David Broadwater summed up the history of the 20th century in the Middle East with clarity and accuracy. Would that our politicians saw so clearly and acted accordingly.

And more truths from writers in Arcata and Auburn regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and California’s Republican representatives to Congress. They are “feckless stooges” indeed, all ineffective and irresponsible. In all these instances, we have paid a terrible price for our ignorance and failure to face reality.

Penny Koines

San Luis Obispo

Cheap housing

“Gavin Newsom just signed 56 housing bills into law. Which ones could help SLO County?” (sanluisobispo.com, Oct. 21)

The biggest reason for our lack of affordable housing is because no one wants cheap housing. What I mean by cheap housing is just that: made cheaply. Before, an affordable home would have inexpensive flooring, single-pane windows, hollow core doors, simple roof lines and no central heating or air. This kept the cost down.

Now, people want a modern home with some style. Communities no longer want a bunch of cookie-cutter homes. But the government has no incentive for cheap housing, as a lot of state and local funding comes from property tax. One percent of $700,000 is a lot more than 1% of $250,000. Contractors, realtors and mortgage brokers like higher prices, as they get a percentage. So let’s recognize we choose to live in a modern world, and that does not come cheap.

George Shoemaker

Atascadero

Fair representation

“Will SLO change council election system after legal demand?” (sanluisobispo.com, Sept. 15)

The San Luis Obispo City Council can take the opportunity of a threatened lawsuit over their at-large voting system to contemplate replacing it not with a district type system, as the lawsuit proposes, but with a proportional voting system.

As a consequence of a recent California Supreme Court ruling (Pico. v Santa Monica), cities and other jurisdictions with an eye to creating fairness for their minority and working class communities can consider adopting a proportional ranked choice voting system. The court saw that district voting systems have not been effective tools in alleviating disparities in opportunity for minority representation in diverse communities.

Our city attorney appears to believe that SLO government doesn’t see any problem with continuing an inherently unfair voting system — a system that consistently rewards well-funded candidates who are white, middle class or retired with a pension and, more often than not, gaining a seat with less than a majority vote. Proportional voting will fix this.

This community is diverse, and it needs diverse representation.

Russell Hodin

San Luis Obispo

Lack of leadership

“Gavin Newsom just signed 56 housing bills into law. Which ones could help SLO County?” (sanluisobispo.com, Oct. 21)

I attended the Oct. 23 Community Town Hall in Carmel, where Assemblywoman Dawn Addis and Sen. John Laird joined the local community to discuss proposed California Housing Legislation. While Laird’s grandfatherly “gee, what can we do” shrugs around the audience’s pre-submitted questions seemed to strike an appropriately sympathetic tone, it was Addis who made her party’s stance chillingly clear: the state is going to allow developers to do whatever they will, wherever they will, with no thought as to supporting infrastructure, addressing the resulting crowding or the harm to fragile habitats.

Addis’ lack of leadership is concerning. When asked how her vision of affordable housing might be dedicated to the people most needed (firefighters, police, healthcare professionals), Addis had no answer. She did not understand the question. If you build it, they will come; and, apparently, the state is not planning for firefighters, police, healthcare professionals or desperately needed tradespeople to be given a spot at the front line.

Laurie Wik

Pacific Grove