Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for March 10, 2024
Marin Housing Authority employees deserve more
The Marin Housing Authority employees need a raise. As was recently reported in the IJ (“Marin Housing Authority workers authorize strike,” March 1), the union argues MHA employees make 25% to 30% less than employees doing similar work in surrounding counties. Closer to home, they also make considerably less than Marin County employees doing similar work.
Having spent over a year volunteering with the Golden Gate Village Resident Council to track and improve maintenance at the 300 public housing units serviced by MHA employees, it’s clear to me that high turnover and low pay are major contributors to ongoing repair problems.
Looking at the pay scales for “skilled journey level” workers, MHA salaries start at less than $30 per hour, while similar jobs with the county start at over $40. These are people who spent years acquiring skills through formal training to become plumbers, electricians and carpenters. Residents living in public housing deserve to live in well maintained apartments. Employees doing these jobs need to be properly compensated.
— Gail Bateson, Inverness
Quirks of leap day lead to curious observation
On Feb. 29 of this year I looked at the IJ’s daily list of birthdays. Considering that leap day occurs every four years, I think the list deserves a closer look.
The ages of the people on the roster were 85, 61, 53, 45 and 37. But none of those people have been able to celebrate their actual day of birth nearly that many times. I find it to be an interesting quirk of the calendar.
It’s thought that the ancient Egyptians introduced the concept of a leap year in an effort to keep the calendar in alignment with the solar year. The Greeks and Romans did the same, allowing the four “quarter days” to become a whole day every four years. A new baby’s chance of being born on Feb. 29 is less than 1%. An estimated 5 million people alive today have achieved that.
— Gigi Gruenke, San Anselmo
Despite report, Northgate should plan for more traffic
San Rafael must plan for the increased traffic that will come from replacing a failing shopping mall with 1,400 units of housing at the proposed Northgate Town Square.
The environmental impact report now being reviewed by the city says that no traffic improvements are needed because traffic is projected to be less than the levels at successful malls the size of Northgate. I think the number of vacancies and lack of business make existing traffic much lighter than was assumed. New development will increase traffic and improvement will be needed.
One example is the main egress from the mall. Shoppers leave on Northgate Drive, turn right onto Las Gallinas and, within one block, must move into the left lane and turn onto Del Presidio to reach Freitas Parkway and Highway 101.
This choke point is frequently gridlocked with cars trying to leave the mall to get on the highway. The rate of accidents at this intersection is nearly five times the statewide average. New development will make a bad situation worse.
Land in the northwest corner of the property should be used for a road to connect it directly to Freitas Parkway, eliminating the maze-like choke point.
San Rafael should not accept this EIR until current traffic levels are measured and plans are made to handle increased traffic.
— Paul G. Barnett, Terra Linda
Police should not engage in car chases
I read in the IJ about a police chase that took place after two vehicles were observed driving at a high speed on Miller Avenue in Mill Valley at 2 a.m. on a recent morning.
The outcomes of police chases are rarely good. Too often, they end up causing deaths or severe injuries. I want to raise awareness about these catastrophic results.
Many police agencies have policies against such chases. Yet, in the heat of pursuit, some engage. I hope Mill Valley and other community law enforcement agencies stop. I suspect innocent drivers or even pedestrians might have been put in greater danger for the purpose of apprehending alleged car thieves.
I despise the recent rise in property thefts, but I don’t believe the risk is worth the reward. To me, it does not justify the risks of the chase.
— Kathy Hartzell, Larkspur