A mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school killed two children, injured others, and ended with the alleged assailant’s suicide. Expected public responses — shock, prayers, and sympathy — occur even as policymakers repeatedly fail to enact meaningful reforms after Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, and Las Vegas. Separately, California’s SB 79 would authorize five- to seven-story rental buildings near transit stops, extending density deep into surrounding neighborhoods. The measure would not guarantee affordability, could displace existing residents and businesses, and would disrupt local planning and compliant Housing Elements. The core housing problem is identified as affordability, not merely supply.
My heart bleeds for the families who sent their children to school, and will now plan their funerals or sit vigil at the hospitals. But, please, incomprehensible, unspeakable, horrific? Not in America. Our leaders, our policymakers, did absolutely nothing after Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Las Vegas and the list goes on and on. Following a period of political hand-wringing, NRA silence and the requisite thoughts and prayers, absolutely nothing will happen until the next time.
SB 79 aims to remake California in the image of Manhattan. The bill increases housing density near dedicated bus, train and ferry stops by reaching deep into the neighborhoods around those stops and permitting, by right, five- to seven-story rental apartment buildings. The bill does little to make this new housing affordable and wreaks havoc on the planning efforts made by cities with compliant Housing Elements. The bill says nothing about its displacement of established residents and businesses.
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