Dealer charges
In her latest Herald article, Senator Lydia Edwards proposes yet one more authorities interventionist strategy to an issue that hardly scratches the floor of the particular problem at hand.
Backside line: a ban on dealer charges and push for insurance-based deposit alternate options misses the mark. It treats the signs of excessive housing prices — whereas ignoring the true illness: restrictive zoning, constrained provide, and overregulation.
Her place on tenant protections presents a well-meaning however finally misguided coverage agenda. Sure, housing is dear. Sure, upfront prices are excessive. However the trigger isn’t brokers or deposits — it’s the substitute shortage created by our personal legal guidelines. Cities block density, gradual allowing, and use zoning like a velvet rope to maintain individuals out. Till we repair that, affordability will stay out of attain irrespective of what number of charges we ban.
Equally flawed is the declare that homeownership disparities in 2025 are pushed by “systemic obstacles.” That phrase suggests present, intentional discrimination. However most of those disparities stem from financial variables: age, earnings, family construction, and wealth accumulation. Redlining and credit score bias have been unlawful for many years, and right now, minority consumers have entry to extra applications than ever. If inequity persists, we have to ask whether or not our coverage decisions — like limiting housing provide — are entrenching it.
Reforms that scale back obstacles to entry sound good, however after they improve landlord danger, take away market alerts, and don’t handle the basis drawback of provide, they’re not options — they’re distractions.
Need actual housing justice? Legalize density and repair the T to make your complete area accessible. Take away parking mandates. Remove exclusionary zoning. Let builders construct and let markets work. Till then, we’re rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.
Gary Durst
North Billerica
Tattoos
A lot due to Scott Liftman for writing a 150% frequent sense column on absolutely the web negatives that tattoos carry to our lives. In short, tattoos are a web adverse to our funds, our well being, our careers, our personalities, and our social lives.
They’re a waste of cash that could possibly be higher spent or invested elsewhere, ink in your physique shouldn’t be precisely wholesome, and folks in any side of life who wish to reject you resulting from your having a tattoo will certainly achieve this. As well as, getting a tattoo as a means of discovering which means in life is as nugatory as one can presumably think about. In summation, avoid tattoos, spend and/or make investments your cash in a much more environment friendly method, and discover different methods to enhance your life, as having tattoos won’t enhance any side your life in any means, form, or kind.
Tony Siciliano
Framingham
