Unnecessary Density

There’s an easy way to escape the state mandate that localities accommodate endless housing growth. Reduce immigration. Sounds far-fetched? Not at all.

Since the end of the Baby Boom back in the 1960s, American couples have averaged about 1.9 children. Couples aren’t replacing themselves. The battle for family planning was won, and population growth has gone negative. So why does America continue to grow? Because Congress has quadrupled immigration. Growth shifted from internal to imported. Americans are now forced to grow despite themselves.

Santa Barbarans, give yourselves a pat on the back for your reproductive restraint. Then give a boot somewhere else to your Congressional delegation, Rep. Lois Capps, Sen. Boxer, and Sen. Feinstein. Tell them to reduce immigration instead of constantly increasing it. Other nations don’t overcrowd themselves to accommodate foreigners. And tell your state legislators, Das Williams and Tony Strickland, to repeal the housing mandate. If we build it they will come. If we don’t build it, they won’t come.Kenneth Pasternack, S.B.

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We don’t want or need a high-density apartment complex in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara – which should be incorporated, but instead we are the defenseless prey of high-profile developers. Our current county supervisor, Janet Wolf, has done nothing to protect us to my knowledge. If you go to Craigslist on the Internet, you will find up to 200 apartments rooms in individual homes for rent every two days. Two days! We homeowners are having a desperate time making ends meet; I am one of them. No one has responded to my ad posted at the end of October. People are trying to avoid foreclosures, and renting rooms helps us make our mortgage payments.

Hence, it flies in the face of logic to build a huge apartment complex, which will likely either remain nearly empty or simply compete with others. Please rein in this ill-considered project.—Virginia Mariposa, S.B. (Noleta)