Unadulterated, uncontrolled power. What kind of power? The power of
real-estate/property-management groups, like the Foothill Apartment
Assn., to "set prices" and reap excessive profits from tenants.
It is OK, apparently, for seniors to go without medications or
food, for children to be unsupervised and for merchants to go out of
business, as long as landlords get more than their fair share profit.
Landlords cry "free market" in the midst of a critical housing
shortage and use the term "market price" as they gouge tenants.
Unethical landlords are not responding to an economic factor, they
are driving it up and up.
This year has been a banner year for landlords in Glendale. Many
have extracted 20% to 30% more rent from their tenants. They deceived
the City Council into endorsing a phony self-governance, program then
refused to participate in it. They joined forces with the Board of
Realtors and the Chamber of Commerce to circulate a petition
restricting the power of city government to regulate rents. It is a
mystery how the Chamber of Commerce was conned into throwing in with
landlords against the majority of Glendale's population and the
merchants that comprise chamber membership.
Glendale citizens, look around you. The charges levied against
rent control by the real-estate industry -- lower property values,
higher crime rates, neighborhood deterioration, poorly maintained
buildings, failed businesses, etc. -- are lies. These conditions are
not attributable to rent control. They never have been.
Do not be brainwashed. The sad fact of the matter is that many
people in this country are gullible and the real-estate industry's
campaign is so well funded that the lies are thoroughly entrenched in
their "belief system." Go to www.glendaletenant.com. The research has
been done; you have but to read it.
Think for yourselves. Be part of the solution. Volunteer your
time, talent and energy to bettering the community. Support rent
control in Glendale.
ROBERTA GUTIERREZ
Glendale
What south Glendale lacks is a dose of residential pride
A recent letter to the mailbag (Dec. 5), suggested that the city
spearhead a cleanup of southern Glendale.
Years ago, though not as affluent as the other side of the
compass, south Glendale was impeccably clean and displayed true pride
of ownership. The delightful California bungalows, harkened back to
an earlier period, and contributed to Glendale's aggregate charm.
The decline of this area, which seemed to begin in the mid 1970s,
was not as a result of neglect or disregard by the city, but as an
outcome of the residents' lack of pride and care.
I continue to be flabbergasted that certain segments of Glendale's
population blatantly refuse to take responsibility for the
deterioration they have allowed to occur, coupled with the audacity
to attempt to transfer the duty and obligation of its renovation upon
the local government. It sounds a little pink to me.
One's position on the socioeconomic ladder should not preclude
pride, care, responsibility or motivation.
KEN BEALL
Glendale
