Sound Off for May 10, 2009
| Saturday, May 09 2009 08:18 PM
Last Updated Saturday, May 09 2009 08:18 PM
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Reader: I must say I am extremely disappointed in last Sunday's real estate "column" that is nothing more than an advertisement for real estate services. The crux of the argument that this is a good time to buy in the article revolves around inventory. The argument, as I can see it, is that since inventories have been shrinking, now would be a good time to buy.
I feel that this is a terrible oversimplification of the real estate market. If one were to look at simple supply and demand as the end-all barometer of when to buy a home, then the boom periods of 2005 and 2006 would have meant that it was a great time to buy a home, as we all now know, that simply was not the case.
There are plenty of more meaningful barometers of the housing market such as employment, population growth, the ratio of rents to home prices and other metrics that have historically been much better correlated to a healthy housing market. In fact it was the ignorance of these key indicators that got us into this mess in the first place as these figures were way, way off base during the bubble. I am all for intelligent, thoughtful discussion on our local economy, but shallow analyses such as these do nothing to educate or inform and at worst can be doing a disservice to your readers.
If you plan on publishing such columns as these in the future, perhaps you should put the little "ADVERTISEMENT" disclaimer at the beginning of it so that the readers do not confuse this with an unbiased discussion of the relevant facts.
Thanks,
-- Marko Horvat
Jenner: I came away from that guest column with a different take.
The column didn't simply argue that now is the time to buy a home because inventories have been shrinking.
The author, Scott Tobias, said in his opening line that making market predictions is a fool's game, and he clearly said that no one knows when the residential market will bottom.
I thought his point was that with supply and demand coming into balance, historical indicators suggest that we'll likely move into a seller's market unless another burst of foreclosures hits the market in the near future.
We've asked qualified and experienced people in the real estate business -- appraisers, lenders, inspectors and yes, Realtors -- to write local columns for our Sunday Real Estate cover.
We only give the writers room for about 400 words -- less space than you and I have consumed here debating the piece. There are limits to how deep these pieces can go and how much data they can contain.
We require that they be relevant, informative and useful to local readers. I have no problems if the authors include their opinions. But our writers aren't allowed to turn these pieces into advertising for their business. I didn't feel this piece did that. Scott Tobias is an experienced local broker. His credentials were clearly presented.
Reader: In Wednesday's Local section, I see someone named David Carr signing a football, beside a yellow car. I immediately looked for the article concerning the two photos. No article that I could find.
Who, exactly, IS David Carr, and why is he signing a football in a car dealership?
And, what, about those photos is of particular interest to your readers?
Answers....please!
-- M. Fishburn
Jenner: Sorry. Those captions were sorely lacking key information, including details about what was going on in the photos and why they were of interest.
David Carr is the quarterback of the NFL's New York Giants. A local football standout at Stockdale High School, he also starred at Fresno State and was the first pick overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. Despite his success in pro sports and his affiliation with an East Coast team, he's chosen to make his home in Bakersfield.
He is a local celebrity, but for those readers who aren't football fans, our captions should have explained who he is.
Carr picked up his new 2010 Camaro at Three Way Chevrolet Wednesday afternoon. The car was the first to be delivered in our market and was the topic of buzz from car enthusiasts on local blogs, and the dealership made an event out of the unveiling.
The other man in the photos -- for whom Carr was signing the football -- is Curtis Flowers, whose wife works at Three-Way Chevrolet.
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Reader: I always taught my sons to make decisions based on what is right. NEVER ever make a decision or choice because someone attempts to use bully tactics on you.
In your May 7 edition, The Californian ran a piece asking: Is Meg Whitman "terrified" of The Californian?
Wow, did this raise my hackles. Because Gretchen Wenner, the government reporter, wanted to interview Meg Whitman and was not granted the interview, Ms. Wenner resorts to bully tactics. It doesn't matter that the other candidates gave interviews. The choice was Meg Whitman's to make. I rather doubt that Meg Whitman is "terrified" of The Californian, why would she be? After all, you constantly say that you are a fair paper, right?
You were told beforehand that Meg Whitman would not be available for interviews, yet you chose to not respect her feelings. Why, because you believe that people should be "terrified" of you?
Because you believe you can make or break people's careers? Maybe you can, I don't know but I do know a person should never make a decision based on bully tactics. Because a bully is no friend.
-- Irene Edmonds
Jenner: Yikes!
Did you read past the little headline? It wasn't The Californian suggesting Whitman was "terrified," but Calbuzz, a political website.
We were fair to Meg Whitman, and gave her great (front page) coverage when she was in town courting delegates to the California Republican Assembly. We noted that she said she'd give us an interview in the future, and I fully expect she will. There was no bullying on our part. Editors thought Calbuzz's post was humorous, and worth sharing with readers. Sorry the humor was lost on you.
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Reader: I'd like to applaud Lois Henry's investigative work regarding the negotiations in city hall with the police and firefighters. It seems that Alan Tandy thinks he can push around not only the cops and firefighters, but even the media. Good for you, Lois, for pushing back. We need to stand by all law enforcement.
-- Cristeen Crabtree
