Letters for Oct. 24, 2019

Re: “Money’s all spent, can’t pay the rent” by Jeff vonKaenel (Greenlight, Oct. 10):

The rent struggle is real. I strongly agree that we need to rein in astronomical housing costs, and also agree that Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s plan would restore fair rules to the game.

As a recent college graduate who struggled to secure housing in Sacramento, I am worried what the future holds. It goes without saying that I do not see myself as a homeowner in this market. Mayor Darrell Steinberg has done good work, but I think this should also be part of the national conversation. I fully support Warren and her housing plan.

Bobby John

Sacramento / via email

Local efforts a Band-Aid

Re: “Money’s all spent, can’t pay the rent” by Jeff vonKaenel (Greenlight, Oct. 10):

Trying to deal with housing and the homelessness crisis at the local level will not work. The economic and political forces at play are national and international. Local efforts amount to a Band-Aid on a fatality.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is asking us to help her make big structural changes in our economy. She wants the rich and multinational corporations to pay their fair share so everyone else is not living on the edge of bankruptcy. Having said that, compassion requires us to do what we can right now for those who are suffering. Warren has identified changes that could made by local politicians if they weren’t so beholden to developers.

Jeff Wilson

Sacramento / via email

SMUD’s reputation

Re: “Why a Sacramento County supervisor election matters” by Jeff vonKaenel (Greenlight, Oct. 3):

I read the article that supported you for Sue Peters’ seat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. Fishman has been on the SMUD board since 2014.

It may also be good to know that SMUD has not lived up to its pro-clean energy reputation and has tried to make it harder and more expensive for people to make and store solar energy. Earlier this year, SMUD attempted to impose very regressive and discriminatory “grid access fees.” SMUD also lobbied against the Solar Bill of Rights (Senate Bill 288). Currently, SMUD is seeking approval for its Solar Shares program, which would lock new homeowners and renters into its monopoly for 20 years. To SMUD’s credit, it walked back the fee, but it never owned up to trying to kill the Solar Bill of Rights. True clean energy leadership means promoting all kinds of clean energy, not just the ones SMUD controls.

Lee Miller

Sacramento / via email

Correction

Re: “Same old Saint” by Deana Medina and Raheem F. Hosseini (News, Oct. 10):

Saint John’s Program for Real Change was incorrectly described as a Christian nonprofit, and the name of Rob Stewart, the moderator at its Sept. 5 graduation, was misspelled. SN&R regrets the errors.