Is this letter in favor or against the current plans?
Mountain View Voice Mountain View Voice: Letters to the Editor November 14, 2008
Editor:I know a lot of Mountain View people are pleased with Barack Obama’s election, and it has brought them hope. My Mexican neighbor and friend pays about $1,800 a month rent on his townhouse, and he thinks hopes Obama will bring his rent down.
I was a successful “affordable rent” landlord for 35 years in three cities including Mountain View and two counties. Trust me — there is no hope coming in Mountain View.
Obama, like any other reasonable government leader, wants to keep Google employing 10,000-plus people here. Jobs, right now, are far more important than keeping the unemployed, retired or subsidized citizens in high-quality medium density housing.
The City Council has been wise in tearing out the older, cheaper, less desirable housing units that prevent the younger, more educated people with far more financial potential from displacing the “dead wood” people like me who have lived here and stood in the way of “progress” for years.
Mountain View needs higher rents, more tax revenue, higher utility rates, less services and much higher resident turnover.
Just ask our city manager, our mayors past and future, our city staff members or any of the City Council candidates. I think they would all agree with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and President-elect Obama: former residents should get out and make room for the future. Go Google.
Donald Letcher
N. Rengstorff Avenue
Maybe I just use too much sarcasm on this site, but honestly I’ve read this twice now, and I can’t figure out if this person is being sarcastic or not. What do you think?
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:22 am
A little bit of Googling and you find the guy describes himself as a gadfly
This post definitely sounds sarcastic based on his other ones. Also he’s successful at it since he makes us wonder.:)
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Some people just don’t understand that sarcasm works differently in writing. Since tone of voice and eye-winks are absent, the language has to be a mite more transparent.
That said, it reads like a letter from someone who doesn’t write as well as he thinks he does.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Oh, I’d definitely say it’s sarcastic, even before I check out DreamT’s link.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Check out this line he wrote to the paper regarding the city’s subprime exposure in its investments:
I am severely persecuted by the Mountain View government for my thoughts, but the city charter requires a city auditor, and I think we absolutely need an independent city auditor that works directly for the City Council…
Severely persecuted???
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:55 pm
This is probably the guy who has written all over his house.
http://www.recallsallylieber.com/images/sally_0962.jpg
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Oh I bet he’s just a blast at the neighborhood association parties.
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
The guy lost me when he had to tell everyone that he has a Mexican neighbor who is also his friend. Why did he need to emphasize his neighbor is Mexican?
November 24th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Good catch. He is the Rengstorff house guy.
http://www.mv-voice.com/morguepdf/2006/2006_08_25.mvv.section1.pdf
Check out the top of Page 8.
He’s a retired firefighter… who doesn’t actually live in Mountain View.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Oh that’s GREAT. He has 40 different residences in the last six months.
He wouldn’t agree he resided at the house he regularly graffitoes with political commentary, but said that’s his voting address!
Heck, I think we should demand his ballot get pulled before the election is certified, and his voter registration tossed.
November 25th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Calling yourslf a “gadfly” is basically saying, “Yes, I know I’m an annoying jerk; I’m like that on purpose.”