Letters to the Editor — Offering a different version of Concord protestors

CONCORD, CA (Apr. 15, 2025) — The following letters to the Editor of the Pioneer came in response to “Do Families Come First in Concord?” posted on this website on April 4, 2025.

Why rent control doesn’t work

The Rev. Millie Phillips fails to mention there is big money in politics on both sides. We see what seems like record-breaking spending levels with each successive election from both sides at all levels of government.

In Concord, however, the saddest is now here. With the advent of full-scale price controls and regulation of the city’s rental housing stock, families don’t come first anymore. As the city ratchets down on the ability to raise rent and conduct business, landlords will start looking for shorter (term) tenants that are easier to move out to get out from under the rent caps and regulation.

And this is one of the great failures of rent control: The city is creating a reason to discriminate against their own voters for no reason at all. A real-world example of this phenomena at work is a short ride on BART. It’s called “the city of San Francisco.”

Reed Robertson, Concord

Offering a different version of Concord protestors

I’d like to rebut the editorial by the Rev. Millie Phillips.

First, Phillips is a paid staff member of EBASE (East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy), along with numerous speakers that night.

I never saw Phillips outside prior to the meeting, but I witnessed firsthand a tenant activist with a long history of harassing housing providers start a fight.

The tenant activist crowd became highly agitated, necessitating police to arrive to quell the crowd and stop the fight. The police favored no one, but they directed the crowd to form a single-file line for entrance.

The activists, determined to get into the chamber first to stage a protest and disrupt any vote, began jumping the line – only to be stopped by police.

Our group ordered pizza, and Rhovy Antonio made sure the driver was tipped.

I saw one housing provider give pizza to a homeless man, “Jeff,” sleeping next to the chamber hall. Yet neither Phillips nor the dozens of activists sitting on the wall 4 feet away offered “Jeff” one of their burritos.

Blaine Carter, Concord

The Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. We will not print anonymous letters. Submit letters here.