School districts don’t need risky cost ventures

Recent news about a proposal to have school districts and the county be on the hook to “pay up” if not enough educators and county employees rent in an affordable workforce housing apartment complex is causing a stir on the IJ Opinion page.

IJ political columnist Dick Spotswood pointed out the financial risk to districts if they enter into a joint-powers agreement (“School districts should approach housing plan with caution, March 5). Wall Street experts won’t take the risk, and Spotswood said calling this an opportunity is “far-fetched.”

In her Marin Voice commentary, Mary Stompe, former executive director of PEP Housing, objected to districts, already struggling with financial uncertainties, being pressured into an agreement with a shot clock (“Don’t ask school districts to guarantee rent shortfalls for educator housing,” March 6).

In contrast, Amy Skewes-Cox, who is on the board of the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, used her Marin Voice commentary (“Move forward with educator housing at Oak Hill,” March 6) to simply focus on the need for affordable housing. That’s short-sighted.

Take warning from nearby Mountain View Whisman School District, which invested in teacher housing. According to reports, only 14 of 123 units are occupied.

Instead of focusing on how to increase compensation so teachers can afford rent, that board is considering free rent for one or two months to attract tenants.

The district wants to avoid being on the hook for a $1.9-million annual ground lease for the next 55 years.

To her credit, Skewes-Cox gets to the crux of the housing matter. Teachers are underpaid.

What’s “affordable” depends on how much money a person has.

Teachers, retail workers and service employees all need better compensation.

Rather than going “off mission” to dabble in risky real estate ventures, districts should focus on economic lessons in the classroom and the board room.

— Susan Kirsch, Mill Valley

Pension contributions squeezing school districts

Does the public ever wonder why Marin, one of the richest counties in the richest state in America, has continued budget shortfalls across school districts, rich and poor?

One key reason, rarely cited, is Assembly Bill 1469 which was passed a decade ago and has ratcheted district CalSTRS pension contributions from 8.25% to the current rapacious 19.1% rate on payroll. This rate is scheduled to remain in place for another two decades through 2046.

From my perspective, California essentially structured an educational version of the “Hunger Games,” with AB 1469 forcing current students, teachers and parents to fight over who will now pay for past CalSTRS malfeasance.

This effort at redress continues to sow dissent among various groups that should be working constructively together: parents feel cheated; there’s little money for teacher and staff raises; younger faculty are on the chopping block due to tenure rules; and older teachers — those with the most experience — are being enticed to retire due to cost (not ability). School boards field nonstop complaints from all sides. I think it’s an absolute mess.

So much for our “progressive paradise,” there will be no escaping the draconian math of AB 1469 — we are bearing witness to a dysfunctional past devouring our children’s future, all due to patently bad policy and governance.

— Ken Broad, Mill Valley

Ubiquitous delivery vans are parked everywhere

While we all appreciate the convenience of online shopping, there is a downside. Our neighborhoods have become infested with delivery vans and many of the drivers seem to think they can park wherever they want.

Twice during a recent week, I saw a lane of busy Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in San Anselmo being blocked. Not long ago, a van carelessly blocked my driveway.

Anecdotally (but not exclusively), I would say that Amazon delivery vans are usually the most involved.

Some of the delivery drivers from the different companies have no regard for the rules of the road.

I know many companies have strict quotas for deliveries. If those quotas are unrealistic and drivers feel they have to park illegally to reach them, then that may be part of the problem.

I urge these companies to relax the number of deliveries a driver must make in a day so we in the community can go about our daily business without getting stuck behind one of those darn vans.

— John Neal, San Anselmo

Behavior in White House meeting left a bad stain

As a 74-year-old citizen of the United States, I have to say that the way President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was treated in his recent visit to the White House was atrocious (“Trump, Vance call Zelenskyy ‘disrespectful’ in Oval Office meeting,” March 1).

It is possible to have difficult discussions of differing opinions and still be civil and dignified. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance appeared to act like low-life thugs, attacking the man who has worked hard to save his country and his people from the invasion of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who I consider to be a brutal dictator.

The ugly display that ended with Trump saying “This is going to be great television” was an embarrassment to the citizens of this country. It was a stain on America.

Any member of Congress who cannot find the courage to call the administration out for such a disturbing display of bullying should resign now and make room for someone who will act in the better interest of our country and our democracy.

— Christine Cragg, San Anselmo

As bird flu concerns hover, vegans remain safe

An article published in the IJ on March 6 with the headline “Bird flu’s resilience raises doubts about mass culling” declares that most of the options to confront bird flu have logistical, economic or environmental costs.

The one option that was not mentioned is to stop eating birds and eggs.

If that sounds ridiculous, look to the millions of people around the world who are vegans. We do not miss the flesh of birds. We do not miss the eggs they produce.

There are countless recipes and prepared foods available to vegans today that are delicious, nutritious and easy to procure or prepare. There has never been a better time to go vegan than today.

— Patti Breitman, Fairfax

Rules for transgender athletes need to be fair

I am a physician supportive of transgender rights. In regard to recent news about transgender women playing sports, it’s important to look at the science. Unfortunately, there is no conclusive science — supporting or refuting — regarding an advantage for transgender women playing against people who have been female since birth. We have yet to conclusively determine if testosterone is or is not a significant factor.

Having said that, I support the recent statement by Gov. Gavin Newsom when acknowledging that it didn’t seem fair for formerly male people to play on women’s teams.

Newsom said, “what’s good for the women should be good for the men.” That caught my attention. Suppose an amazing female Olympic gold-medalist became a transgender man and wanted to compete on the men’s team at a college with a small athletic program. Would that be fair?

I would suppose he would beat many of the men. I think logic states that the policies should be fair and consistent for both. Therefore, until one can show scientifically whether there are advantages or disadvantages, it is not bias but caution to use birth gender for male and female athletes.

— Dr. Kenneth Olshansky, San Rafael