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Letters
- Details
- Written by: Nelson Strasser
In his letter about the senior mobile home rent control initiative (“McQueen: Seniors' rent control concerns being addressed without an ordinance,” Feb. 26, http://bit.ly/1mEVMIq ), Jerry McQueen said that the issues were being resolved.
Really? The issue is that last year my rent went up 7.5 percent and my social security benefits went up 1.7 percent. My landlord can raise the rent any amount, four times per year. The problem has not been resolved, in fact, it has not been addressed.
Here is how the system that Mr. McQueen alluded to, worked: When I got that raise, I wrote a petition, got it signed by almost everyone in my park, over 40 people, and took it to the Lakeport City Council.
I made a presentation, and asked for help. The council said, “Thank you, Mr. Strasser,” and, I never heard from them again in that regard.
Mr. McQueen is wrong: I did not get frustrated. I got to work. I found that, historically, in the United States, when local governments have not been responsive to the needs of the people, the people have successfully turned to the initiative process.
Mr. McQueen continues to repeat the same falsehood that our initiative will increase expenses to local government, as if, if he repeats it enough, it will become true.
The truth is that our initiative will not cost local government a penny. This is why: there are over a hundred rent control laws for mobile home parks in California. Some of them grant, for example, up to 60 percent of the Consumer Price Index Increase, without going to the rent control board.
Our initiative says that we give the park owners 100 percent of CPI, automatically, thus making the rent control board unnecessary.
The assertion that the economy of Lake County will decline with rent control is precisely the opposite of the truth: The company that owns my park, for example, is in Orange, the wealthiest county in California. The excessive and unreasonable rent increases that they impose will send dollars to Orange County to be spent, not keep them here in Lake County.
Evidently, Mr. McQueen has not read our initiative. It absolutely does account for the “pass through” of certain kinds of expenses that the owners accrue.
The irony is, as I will prove in court on March 14, that the only way to control rents in a way that is fair to both owner and tenant, is to relate rents to CPI. And, in fact, I will prove that it works very well in many municipalities in California and both owners and tenants have, for all intents and purposes, accepted such a compromise.
A rent control law for mobile home parks is not a radical idea. As I said, over a hundred communities have such measures in place. And, I will give Mr. McQueen the benefit of the doubt. He may be very fair. But, there are owners who are not fair, and that is precisely why things have come to this current state of affairs. Fairness is not a universal quality in men, and that is precisely why we need laws.
Ironically, what Mr. McQueen does not yet understand, is that this is the best deal he is going to get. Eventually, and, it will be sooner, rather than later, rent control for mobile homes will come to Lake County.
Looking at a survey of rent control measures for mobile home parks, as I said, some only grant 60 percent of CPI without appeal to a rent control board. If the owner wants more than 60 percent, he has to bring his books, open those books to the public, and prove that he deserves more. (A Google search shows that no rent control board in California has ever granted more than 100 percent of CPI.)
Is that what Mr. McQueen wants? I don’t think that scenario would be fair to him. Clearly, the only fair way to resolve the issue is to grant 100 percent of CPI automatically. This will ensure the owners get a reasonable return, and the seniors don’t get poorer. Empirically, this system has worked well in Northern California.
I understand that you want to make money, and, under our initiative, you will make a “fair and reasonable” return, as the law demands. However, you can’t assure me that the owner of my park, and several of the other owners in Lake County, are not going to take advantage of the absence of rent control and gouge the elderly.
Nelson Strasser lives in Lakeport, Calif., and authored a senior mobile home park rent control initiative set to appear on the Lakeport municipal ballot in November 2014.
- Details
- Written by: Leslie Sheridan
To consumers of business services: If you are someone or know someone who has had a bad experience with a business, I strongly encourage you to file complaints with the appropriate agencies, so that they can be aware of businesses with patterns of problems and warn others.
Some general agencies to contact include: Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org or 866-411-2221, the California Attorney General at http://oag.ca.gov/consumers .
Additionally, depending on the type of business, be sure to report your complaint to the agencies within their industry (e.g.: for the auto industry, the Bureau of Automotive Repair at 866-799-3811).
If they do not hear your stories, they cannot identify businesses with patterns of problems, so as to warn others.
Leslie Sheridan lives in Clearlake, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Jerry McQueen
As mobile home park owners, we can understand Mr. Strasser’s frustration with the process as set forth in his letter published (“Strasser: What is at stake with rent control initiative,” Feb. 16, http://bit.ly/N5FBrl ).
However, we are also frustrated with Mr. Strasser and the Save our Seniors group for wanting to push forward with an ordinance when their issues are being resolved without the need of the ordinance and without additional costs to all the taxpayers of Lake County, which they do not seem to understand will be required with a rent control ordinance.
A nonprofit organization has purchased one park and another park offers subsidies to needy seniors.
Many parks in the county offer a long-term lease which was put together over five years ago with input from a panel including representatives of the Board of Supervisors, owners of mobile home parks and residents of parks.
This lease includes most things covered by a rent control ordinance. The rent increases on the long-term lease are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) covering real increases and not the Social Security cost of living increase which is not based on reality. There is an agreed-upon minimum and maximum annual increase in the lease based on CPI.
Mr. Strasser stated that the majority of the Board of Supervisors seemed hostile to rent control. Before unsuspecting voters sign a petition or vote for an ordinance, we suggest you talk with your elected city and county officials and ask what their research tells them will be the real cost of administering a rent control ordinance in order to comply with state law.
Also consider what will happen in Lake County if owners of parks are bound by an ordinance which does not even allow them to pass through increased costs which are government mandated (water, sewer, fire fees, taxes, etc.) unless over 50 percent of the residents agree to pay them.
Lake County has some of the lowest rents in all of California and most park owners are willing to work with their residents who have financial issues. Tying the increase in rents to a Social Security Index based on the age of residents who are not even qualified to receive Social Security does not make any sense.
If the government wants to subsidize housing costs, then they should buy the properties and subsidize the residents.
Business owners who are doing their best to maintain their properties, keeps the rents as low as possible and have good resident relations should not have to be penalized for those efforts.
There is an effort afoot to pass a tax to improve the quality of Clear Lake which in turn will help the economy. A rent control ordinance will create the opposite result. It will lead to the deterioration of properties due to restraints placed on owners unnecessarily and to the County’s detriment.
Jerry McQueen and his wife Mary Ann own Northport Trailer resort in north Lakeport, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Mary Morse
Kelseyville’s Christmas in the Country in December was very memorable.
It was the first time in 20 years that Mother Nature rained on our parade. We desperately needed it but it did put a damper on the evening. What surprised me was how many people came out in the freezing wet weather to be a part of the event.
First things first: A huge thank you to all of Kelseyville’s friends who came out to decorate Main Street for the holidays on Nov. 16. Eric and Christie Schofield and Christie’s son Lucas, Dave Morse, Cooper Dodd, Vincent Price and Susan Martin, Helen Finch, Bob and Jeanette Bartley, Kathleen Ahart, Marilyn Holdenried, Ron Chips, Brenda Young, Barbara McIntyre, Eduardo Alatorre, Nick Buttitta,
Trena Pauly and a big thank you to Mike at Kelseyville Pizza for donating all the pizzas for lunch.
The big candle decorations on the light poles were put up by Bill Dawson, Jim Merriman and the Kelseyville Lions Club.
Main Street setup on the day of the event came together thanks to the hard work of Ernie Ostern, who built the candy cane parade barricades, stores them for us each year and helps us set them up. His patience and hard work was greatly appreciated. Thanks also to Kathleen Ahart and Sinda Knight.
We can’t thank Mike Linnell enough for all of his work as the parade coordinator. He does a great job every year and this year he had help from Walter and Wanda Herpe. Linnell starts in October sending out parade notices and also does the printing of the parade handouts.
This year because of the weather the parade was a little smaller, with snow falling on all sides of Kelseyville. I couldn’t believe how many participants showed up to make the parade spectacular. The floats were wonderful and everyone in the parade made the evening so much fun. Thanks to all of you. Only at a country parade like ours do people turn out no matter what the weather throws at us.
Again this year we want to thank the California Highway Patrol volunteers, Ed McDonald, Al Reynolds and John Wickersham, the CHP Explorers and Larry Caravario. Thanks for keeping us safe.
Westamerica Bank opened its doors for Santa, Rob Brown, who put smiles on all the little ones' faces. The photographer, Dawn Smith of Color Splash Photos, did a wonderful job and donated all the proceeds to Lake County foster children for Christmas gifts. God bless you.
We want to thank Carolyn Morris for allowing us to use her painting of “Kelseyville Parade” for our posters again this year. It depicts our Christmas in the Country so beautifully. Thanks also to David Neft for the music in the bank.
Kelseyville Fire House had our pretty live town Christmas tree looking bright and festive. Hopefully it’ll grow another foot or two next year. It has been so fun watching it grow each year.
We thank Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, St. Peter's Catholic Church and Kelseyville United Methodist and Unitarian Universalist Community for the food, singing and holiday joy and Marie at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro for displaying the miniature quilts.
Cleanup after the parade, cold, tired and wet, I cannot thank all of you enough. Ernie Ostern; Marilyn Holdenried; Linda Goff; Tom and Cindy Goff and their children, Jessica, Raelyn and Tasha; and Dave Morse and Eric Schofield.
T he merchants did a wonderful job of inviting everyone in from the cold to visit and enjoy something warm to drink and goodies to eat. Our Main Street business owners are so amazing and friendly. They make everyone feel welcome.
Last but not least I want to thank our sponsors. Without their generosity we couldn’t have done it: Bob and Jeanette Bartley, Bob Bartley Pumps Inc.; Ruth Stewart, Kelseyville Pharmacy; Dallas Woll and Victoria, Roto Rooter of Lake County; Kelseyville Business Association, Pear Festival; Itzia Rico, Studebakers Coffee House & Deli; and Rian Sommerfield, Nestegg Investments.
One last time, I want to thank everyone who showed up for the parade, all the participants in the parade and the people that helped put on the event. It truly is “A Wonderful Life!”
Mary E. Morse is event coordinator for Christmas in the Country in Kelseyville, Calif.