{"id":5969,"date":"2026-07-31T23:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T23:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969"},"modified":"2026-07-31T23:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T23:08:12","slug":"letters-subsidized-rent-could-be-teachers-path-to-housing-ladder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969","title":{"rendered":"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Subsidized rent is path to the housing ladder<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cDistricts should spend on teachers, not housing\u201d (Page A6, July 29).<\/p>\n

Peggy Brady asks, \u201cWhy not pay teachers enough to buy homes themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n

This is a good question, and the answer is simple. If you put $10,000 in everyone\u2019s pocket to help them buy a home, the price of homes goes up by $10,000. This becomes a taxpayer subsidy to the seller that does not help the buyer. Subsidizing rented teacher housing is a more effective way to help teachers keep a roof over their heads near their jobs.<\/p>\n

Read more Guilty plea, witness list reveal prosecutors\u2019 case against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao<\/a><\/p>\n

In theory, it could ultimately help them save the down payment needed to get on the housing ladder, but the Bay Area would need to build a lot more housing to make that possible.<\/p>\n

Eamonn Gormley<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Polluters should pay for climate change<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cVoters want others to pay for climate rules\u201d (Page A6, July 29).<\/p>\n

The recent letter asserts that public support for climate initiatives wanes when voters face costs. Why should they when the primary responsibility for the climate crisis falls not on most voters, but on polluting industries, like the fossil fuel and timber sectors?<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

These industries reap massive profits while generating vast emissions and receiving taxpayer-funded government subsidies, something over which voters have little power. Sadly, this trend is now extending to the highly polluting biomass energy and AI sectors.<\/p>\n

It is unfair to burden ordinary people with the funds needed to reverse a crisis for which they have little direct responsibility. Instead, polluting industries should be held accountable for funding climate repair efforts and should be mandated to transition to cleaner, safer practices.<\/p>\n

Jennifer Normoyle<\/strong>
\nHillsborough<\/em><\/p>\n

Switch to electric is key to a healthy future<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cUnreliable electricity makes gas necessary\u201d (July 20).<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

As a Bay Area high school student, I care about the future my generation will inherit. That is why I was disappointed that Marcia Friss ignored one of the biggest issues: clean air. Air pollution is not abstract. It affects the air we breathe, the number of unhealthy, smog-filled days that keep us indoors and our long-term health. The Bay Area Air District estimates\u00a0that reducing pollution from gas furnaces and water heaters could prevent up to 85 premature deaths and 15,000 asthma attacks each year in our region.<\/p>\n

Affordability concerns are valid, but rebates, exemptions and flexible implementation can address them. California has also invested heavily in battery storage, helping make the electric grid more reliable. These concerns should encourage better, more efficient implementation, not abandonment of the rules.<\/p>\n

Air quality must be a priority, not an afterthought. We all deserve clean air and a healthy future.<\/p>\n

Abhinaya Manickavasagan<\/strong>
\nSanta Clara<\/em><\/p>\n

Quetzalcoatl is terrible choice for plaza name<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cFinalists announced in plaza\u2019s renaming\u201d (Page B1, July 28).<\/p>\n

I was surprised to learn that one of the names under consideration to replace that of Cesar Chavez in San Jose\u2019s downtown plaza is the mythological deity Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl was the \u201cfeathered serpent\u201d worshipped by the Aztecs and other cultures.<\/p>\n

Sacrifices were made to Quetzalcoatl, but some historians assure us that humans were not sacrificed: only butterflies, birds and serpents were killed to please the mythological god.<\/p>\n

Read more Pittsburg woman suspected husband of cheating, but discovered child porn stash instead, police say<\/a><\/p>\n

If San Jose\u2019s downtown plaza is named for Quetzalcoatl, we will be mocked by the world \u2026 and rightly so.<\/p>\n

Pete Campbell<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Pass a law to keep high court at 9 justices<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cDeadline passes for Trump to ask Supreme Court to reconsider birthright citizenship ruling\u201d (July 29).<\/p>\n

Now that the deadline for the United States Supreme Court to reconsider its birthright citizenship ruling has passed, the Supreme Court has proven that it is not a rubber stamp for Trump \u2014 and MAGA critics remain furious.<\/p>\n

Court expansion is a trap. Some on the right may be tempted to expand the bench to make it more conservative, just as some on the left seek to expand it to make it more liberal.<\/p>\n

To protect the court\u2019s judicial independence, we must pass the Keep Nine Amendment, which simply says: \u201cThe Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine Justices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eugene Greg Zulueta<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s rally voters to keep our democracy strong<\/h4>\n

At a time when civic participation feels more important than ever, we each have a role to play in strengthening our democracy. Voting is one of the most direct and powerful ways individuals can make their voices heard, yet many eligible voters remain disengaged or unsure how to participate.<\/p>\n

If you are wondering how to make a tangible difference in getting Democrats elected to office, I encourage you to look into Activate America.<\/p>\n

Activate America is an organization that empowers volunteers to reach out directly to voters in crucial swing states and districts, encouraging them to vote for Democratic candidates. By empowering\u00a0volunteers to reach out to voters through postcards, texts and phone calls, we can make a real difference in getting Democrats elected.<\/p>\n

Democracy works best when participation is broad and inclusive. Let\u2019s do our part to make that happen.<\/p>\n

Read more FCC chairman defends actions against ABC, says broadcasters must operate \u2018in the public interest\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Ron Sadler<\/strong>
\nPalo Alto<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Also: Polluters should pay | Switch to electric | Terrible choice | High court | Rally voters. Mercury News reader letters to the editor for Aug. 2, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nLetters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Also: Polluters should pay | Switch to electric | Terrible choice | High court | Rally voters. Mercury News reader letters to the editor for Aug. 2, 2026.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-31T23:08:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-31T23:08:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969\"},\"wordCount\":911,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969\",\"name\":\"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder - Next City Digest\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-31T23:08:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5969#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Next City Digest\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder - Next City Digest","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder - Next City Digest","og_description":"Also: Polluters should pay | Switch to electric | Terrible choice | High court | Rally voters. Mercury News reader letters to the editor for Aug. 2, 2026.","og_url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969","og_site_name":"Next City Digest","article_published_time":"2026-07-31T23:08:12+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"headline":"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder","datePublished":"2026-07-31T23:08:12+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969"},"wordCount":911,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp","articleSection":["Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969","name":"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder - Next City Digest","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp","datePublished":"2026-07-31T23:08:12+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5597f7e5809d56bed996e9662fb1387d-scaled.webp","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5969#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Letters: Subsidized rent could be teachers’ path to housing ladder"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/","name":"Next City Digest","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/nextcitydigest.com"],"url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}