Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Unless my friends and I got our facts wrong, the high turnover building at 18th and Connecticut has been owned by Irving Zaretsky’s greedy gang since long before 1999, probably starting before I moved here in the early 1980’s. One of the silent partners died in 1998, which may have triggered a deed change in 1999, upon which your writer Anthony Myers picked-up (“18th Street commercial Corridor Rocked by Changes,” February issue).
Irving and company evicted, or, as they say, “…failed to come to an equitable agreement on rent,” both Good Life Grocery in 1985, and Just For You in the mid-1990’s. The Good Life space was kept a vacant eyesore by the owners for about ten years, until Eliza’s rented and renovated the site. Then they moved out last year.
Ed Lortz
19th Street
Dear Editor,
“Innovative Energy Efficiency Model Could Reduce Low-Income Household Costs and Create Green Jobs,” in the February View, strongly resonated with me. For most of my adult life, Iíve been working at or below the poverty line. At one studio apartment, I had a very old model refrigerator that leaked, didn’t close all the way, and had cosmetic damage. Although my electricity was paid by the landlord, as someone concerned about the environment and who disliked having to always leave towels on the floor to soak up fluids, I approached him on numerous occasions requesting a replacement refrigerator, to no avail. I even offered to pay for a new model by paying slightly more each month in rent. Luckily, after several years of trying to convince my landlord, a Good Samaritan donated a new model directly to me. I was sorely tempted to take the new refrigerator with me when I moved out, and was upset that the energy savings the new model passed on to the landlord were not reflected in a reduced rental price for me.
Now, my partner and I have a house in an older suburb, but are faced with a similar dilemma. Although not on the poverty line, we make just enough to not qualify for the financing we need to update our home. The windows are paper thin, and we lose a lot of heat in the winter. I have to imagine that many families, if given incentives or educated on the potential cost and environmental savings, would gladly take advantage of the opportunity to lower their utility bills through better efficiency.
Melissa K. McDonough
San Lorenzo
Dear Editor,
I found “Innovative Energy Efficiency Model Could Reduce Low-Income Household Costs and Create Green Jobs” (February View) really interesting. When my 15 year old daughter was a baby, and since becoming disabled a few years ago and returning to school, I’ve lived in some pretty crummy apartments with old appliances. I don’t know a lot about energy issues, but this is the first proposal I’ve read about that really seems like it could help the people in my own world (so to speak).
Joan Danenberg
San Jose, California
