NEED A RESIDENT SCORECARD
With so many new buildings built, and more planned, I am hoping to get some numbers. How many new units/ homes have been built in the last two years? How many are low-income? How many are market rate? What is the average rent for those? And how many are currently rented? How many are in the city versus the county? What is the occupancy rate of commercial space below many of these buildings? Where is the water coming from to pipe into all these new homes? What number of new housing do we need to hit before we can stop the new building? It seems like we should have a giant tally board telling us how many more high-rise buildings are still on the way. Thank you.
Deb Molina | Santa Cruz
WHO’S TO BLAME FOR POLLUTION?
Well, what would we do if we couldn’t blame the big, bad oil companies for our collapsing climate, as a recent letter writer did (Make climate polluters pay, 2/4/26). It is striking that in these types of letters there is nary a mention of the role we consumers play, which is tantamount to the sort of greenwashing and political hocus-pocus that Big Oil is infamous for.
If, indeed, we were to really make polluters pay and thus properly account for the natural capital debt we’re accruing, gasoline would be 17 dollars per gallon, the cost of heating and cooling your home and fueling your various toys and devices would have you filing for bankruptcy, and clothing yourself in petroleum-based synthetics might involve some sort of cap-and-trade requirement.
So, are the oil companies inherently evil, or are the real culprits we consumers, who prop up and perpetuate these industries with our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels? Game knows game. Big Oil and its customers are dysfunctional co-dependents waltzing toward the abyss in a dystopian dance. Best to remember that the planet gets a vote, too.
Tim Rudolph | Santa Cruz
COMPLAINT ABOUT THE TRAIL W/O RAIL
To Fred Keely:
I want to begin by acknowledging your long record of public service. I voted for you for County Treasurer, and I have appreciated your past statements at RTC meetings supporting rail and its role in Santa Cruz County’s transportation future.
That is why I am concerned and disappointed by your recent actions that appear to promote removing the railroad tracks, particularly your leadership in advancing a trail-only approach in Mid-County. Less than four years ago, 73% of voters made it clear they want the tracks preserved for future rail use. Moving toward track removal contradicts that mandate and risks disregarding the will of the voters.
I urge you to change course. Please direct staff to design an affordable trail that allows the rails to remain in place and usable, as was done successfully in Humboldt County and through streetcar-style rail-with-trail designs. Preserving the rail corridor is also essential if Santa Cruz County is to remain competitive for future FRA passenger rail funding.
I respectfully ask you to stand with the voters and help protect the long-term transportation future of our county.
Kevin Kinkor | Santa Cruz
