Public must help solve housing
Re: your Nov. 16 story, “Here’s why county’s affordable housing costs so much to build”:
Mr. Biasotti’s article on affordable housing was excellent. He obviously undertook a great deal of research into the many issues contributing to the difficulty of providing affordable housing in a timely and cost effective way.
The article presented meaningful information on many of the various public and private sector entities involved in providing housing, as well as the many challenges (hurdles) they face.
Mr. Biasotti did not provide solutions to the problem. Rather, he did something far more meaningful: he made the readers aware of some of the many issues causing a lack of affordable housing in our communities.
It is up to us to do our own research and take appropriate actions. Make those in the housing industry and relevant government agencies aware of your feelings. Write letter and/or attend public hearings.
The problem will not solve itself without public (voter) involvement.
Mike Teobaldi Jr., Westlake Village
Employees deserve a fair contract
Ventura County employees are being asked to accept a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) contract that is simply unfair — and residents deserve to know why. While county workers struggle with rising living costs, the Board of Supervisors recently awarded themselves a $24,000 raise. This decision sends a troubling message: leadership is prioritizing its own comfort over the well-being of the people who keep the county running.
Frontline workers have held this community together through wildfire seasons, a pandemic, and ongoing staffing shortages. We continue to show up because we care about Ventura County, and the essential services residents rely upon.
Yet the county’s current proposal shows little care in return. It offers raises that fail to keep pace with inflation, provides insufficient support for retention, and risks deepening the staffing crises already affecting critical departments.
If accepted, this contract will push more employees out of public service, worsen vacancies, and erode the quality and reliability of programs the public depends on — from health care and public safety to social services and environmental protection. These impacts will not be temporary; they will shape the county’s stability and service levels for years to come.
This is about more than wages. It is about fairness, respect, and the future of our community. County employees want what any residents would want for themselves: to be valued, to be treated equitably, and to be able to afford to live in the community we serve.
I urge the public to stand with us and call on the Board of Supervisors to negotiate in good faith. Ventura County deserves a workforce that is supported, respected, and able to continue delivering the services our residents count on — and the people who serve this county deserve better than the contract currently on the table.
Jackie Zaragoza, Oxnard
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters to editor | Public key to housing crisis, fair contract for employees
Reporting by Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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