Yesterday's Mercury News front page blared "Gloom grips Bay Area" with a sub-head of "One-third of Bay Area residents hope to leave soon, poll finds". If you are analytical and a little skeptical, like me, you will look at the chart on-line, read the article and then wonder why the author George Avalos went down the path of
More than one-third of Bay Area residents say they are ready to leave in the next few years, citing high housing costs and traffic as the region's biggest problems, according to a poll released Monday.
and quoted the same old mouthpiece for growth
"We can whine about this, or we can win by solving our traffic and housing problems," (president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group) Carl Guardino said."
Yet the chart shows that last year, "Supply of Water" was practically tied with "Housing" but gets no mention in the article. Does Avalos think the drought magically disappeared? Does Guardino think we can build our way out of the water shortage? Is a bit of an outward migration from the Bay Area such a bad thing? Today's Merc front page was about potholes and "Traffic" polled third this year, but yet $100 billion is still getting sucked into High-cost Rail. Yikes!
The reporter was probably working for Better Homes and Gardens or the Ladies Home Journal a week ago. We can't expect too much from the dying media when it comes to putting big ideas together. The big question is why the dying Greens likje the Sierra Club aren't crying about the water situation. Polar bears yes, local trees dying not so much.
Posted by: old guy | May 03, 2016 at 11:21 PM
I don't understand how sprawl is more helpful with a water crisis. At least higher density takes up less water per person. Sprawl sucks up a lot more water and causes more traffic.
Posted by: fred | May 04, 2016 at 09:51 AM
I know a few other old guys who are leaving Burlingame and they are leaving California too. They don't just cash their house an move to the rural areas of California, they think to themselves why pay the taxes and put up with the rest hustle and bustle when they do have to come into the city. Just go to Arizona, Oregon, Nevada (a lot of these lately for some reason). The gloom is about the whole state not just the Bay Area.
Posted by: old guy | May 05, 2016 at 08:45 AM
Never thought I would consider leaving the town I grew up in but why put up with all the traffic just to get from point A to B, the rude people (stressed out) and increased crime!
Sorry it is just not worth it anymore!!
Posted by: Joanne | May 05, 2016 at 12:45 PM
I agree. When out of towners tear down the houses on both sides of mine I don't fell like it's my street anymore and if I'm sad in my house then it's time to move.
Posted by: Not going yet, but maybe soon | May 05, 2016 at 11:20 PM
Speaking of high density and traffic our friends at ABAG/MTC are putting on a meeting in Burlingame on Wednesday, June 1st from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. at the Burlingame Rec Center. My guess it should be a packed house!!!
Posted by: Joanne | May 06, 2016 at 11:43 AM
6 homes in my immediate Burlingables neighborhood have been torn down in the last 2 months. It is shocking. Looks like a war zone.
Most of these razed homes have all been recently purchased and will be enormous footprints on teeny, tiny lots. We've lost privacy.
Oh, and all these people love to tell you they bought in Burlingame because the homes are so charming . Yes, and now charm is being replaced by over building.
The owners all get to be away while we neighbors put up with noise and chaos for the next year +++
What is happening to our lovely town!!! It is disappearing day by day.
Posted by: Samiselfie | May 07, 2016 at 08:52 PM
I was at Peet's today. I asked the petition guy for rent control for a copy of the whole petition before I would think about signing it today. He was pretty evasive. Has anyone seen the whole thing all in one place.
Posted by: David | May 08, 2016 at 09:33 PM
David, here is the text of the ballot language from the proponents' website: http://www.rentersrightsnow.com/uploads/2/0/9/3/20937710/burlingame_master_033016_final.pdf
Posted by: Cathy Baylock | May 09, 2016 at 03:37 PM
I'm with Samiselfie and Joanne. I live in the 2 bed, 1 bath house I was born in with my then brother and parents and am now surrounded by two story homes, which was not always the case. The one level 3 bed, 2 bath across the street just sold and the new owners say, we have a family, and need a second story, so there goes my view outside my living room window and peace and quiet while they modify their new home. Since March '09 the Federal Reserve interest rate policy and QE's have caused both stock market and real-estate bubbles which benefit only a chosen few, while the middle and lower classes get destroyed. And if you're a renter with your rent going up 10% a year while your salary or social security doesn't, well you're shit out of luck. The gap between rich and poor widens and it's no wonder consumer spending is down along with corporate profits. This along with the simple fact we're overpopulated, traffic and crime will just get worse. End of rant.
Posted by: Thomas Hornblower | May 09, 2016 at 11:49 PM
How's that hopey changey thing working out for y'all? Double the national debt in 7 years and no improvement in sight. Maybe doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result is a problem.
Posted by: Hope and Change, right? | May 10, 2016 at 10:36 AM