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Hypnotizing Marin into Increasing Traffic & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Marin Independent Journal is the most well read and the only major circulation newspaper in our county. As such, it has a great deal of responsibility. However, it is using itself as a platform to repeatedly propagate the unsubstantiated theory, some would more accurately refer to this as a myth, of "workforce housing".
The concept of workforce housing, as we are repeatedly told in IJ editorials, is that much of Marin's workforce cannot afford to live in Marin so is forced to live outside the county and commute in. Therefore we must build lots of new housing as this will cause many of those Marin workers to choose to move to Marin.
This theory breaks down on a number of levels:
- It presupposes that new housing will be taken by former Marin workers who lived outside Marin;
- New affordable housing cannot give preference to existing Marin workers: It must be offered on a lottery basis where more applicants are likely to live outside the county;
- New market rate housing is expensive: Residents of any new housing are likely have high paying jobs in San Francisco or the East Bay;
- Those advocating "workforce housing" have provided no proof that there is data supporting their concept;
- To counter the "workforce housing" theory, the Institute of Transportation Engineers estimates that each new apartment unit will generate 6.72 additional daily car trips.
Recognizing We Are Being Brainwashed by Our "Independent" News Source
It would be one thing for "workforce housing" to be referenced by Marin Voice pieces - opinion piece submissions from readers. However, the Marin IJ repeatedly pushes the concept in its own editorials.
This is just a small selection.
Marin IJ Editorial: Novato needs a constructive and civil affordable housing debate, June 2011:
So, where is the right place to build affordable or workforce housing? It's not "somewhere else."http://www.marinij.com/article/ZZ/20110620/NEWS/11...
Marin IJ Editorial: Levine’s housing change undermines 2014 promise, July 1 2017:
That doesn’t get Marin out of doing its fair share of meeting reasonable regional housing goals. Marin should not be foisting its local housing needs onto neighboring counties or approving commercial growth without addressing the demand for workforce housing. http://www.marinij.com/article/NO/20170701/LOCAL1/...
Marin IJ Editorial: Novato needs a constructive and civil affordable housing debate, June 20 2011:
That was painful to observe. And discouraging for those who have worked to develop much-needed workforce housing in Novato and the rest of Marin. http://www.marinij.com/article/ZZ/20110620/NEWS/11...
Marin IJ Editorial: Fairfax's chance to draft better housing plan:
Starting over isn't a setback for affordable senior and workforce housing, but a chance to come up with a plan that has the community's strong support. http://www.marinij.com/article/ZZ/20140717/NEWS/14...
Well Meaning, But Spreading Rumors
The author does recognize that proponents of the "workforce housing" theory are well-meaning. It sure would be nice to have a silver bullet that would address traffic and housing, but the world is far more complex and demands objectivity and attention to handle complex issues.
The problem is that they are spreading this theory as if there is a body of evidence validating that it is true - they haven't questioned it.
The "Yes Set" Technique
A well-informed Nextdoor.com poster alerted the author to the "yes set" technique. This explains one of the methods used to persuade people using conversational hypnosis.
"[Another] way to produce a ‘Yes Set’ is to make truisms. Truisms are sayings that a culture has conditioned its inhabitants to believe as unmistakably true. The statements are a way that people view the world or a part of the world. These statements will largely be found true by almost all people you speak to."
"Workforce housing" is one of those Yet Set phrases that many Marin residents accept as a truism, without question.
What is most concerning is that the theory of workforce housing is having such a widespread impact on conversations about housing and the future of our county. If the theory is a myth, which seems highly likely, then the impact of acceptance of this myth by voters, neighborhoods, elected officials and planners is to drive policy creating more traffic, not less. This accelerates global warming and causes a decline in quality of life for residents.
Who does this serve?