Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Jan. 25, 2026

Fairfax residents who saved property should be celebrated

The article published Jan. 16 with the headline “Fairfax neighbors preserve wildlife, preempt housing” reports on action by neighbors to buy adjoining open space to keep it from development. This has a wide benefit for the town.

I recall that the idea was discussed by members of the first Open Space Committee and the Fairfax Town Council in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was seen by some as urgent. Back then, Marin County officials were allowing an increasing number of new construction projects just outside the edge of Fairfax town limits.

I’m convinced those new homes had a negative effect on Fairfax. One issue was the requirement that they be hooked up to Fairfax’s infrastructure — mainly sewer and services including fire and police — yet they did not add to our tax base. County decisions of the type and size of housing caused the town to grow, but not in affordable housing. Since the numbers used by the Association of Bay Area Governments for required housing was based partly on population, our situation regarding the state’s housing goals was made worse.

County leaders then ignored problems of building in the wildland-urban interface. I think they endangered the town, impacting our safety and complicating residents’ ability to acquire affordable insurance. Recent studies of major wildfires have shown that the greatest loss of structures occurs where buildings are clustered at the interface. I think county officials would do well to establish a “no building” perimeter at the periphery of towns.

I celebrate the residents mentioned in the article for accomplishing the purchase of the open space. I encourage other Fairfax residents to do the same.

— Niccolo Caldararo, Fairfax

SMART train should not be called ‘clean’ transportation

I love trains. My dad worked for a railroad, so they were a large part of my upbringing. However, after reading the article published Jan. 11 with the headline “SMART tax renewal pitch heads to district board,” I don’t think the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District is very smart at all.

In the article, a supporter of the proposed ballot measure to extend the sales tax paying for SMART appears to misrepresent the service as “clean” public transportation. Those trains run on diesel fuel. SMART also causes daily backups of idling cars in places like downtown San Rafael every time it comes through. There are at least five busy streets with several blocks each of idling, gasoline-powered cars and trucks trying to get where they are headed. This happens especially at high-commute times but also randomly.

We need solid data to show the additional pollution we get that can be attributed to those backups. Also, the petitioners for this were good people, understandably working to get paid for signatures. What should have been made clear in the script they were given is the full truth: The petition allows supporters to put the measure on the ballot at a lower approval threshold. That means the tax proposal no longer requires a supermajority on Election Day.

So if this initiative does make it to the ballot, I suspect it will pass. Then we will all be paying for what sounded like a great idea (clean transportation and less congestion) but hasn’t proven to be so. It’s time to look for other solutions.

— Kraemer Winslow, San Rafael

Put practicality ahead of performative gestures

IJ columnist Dick Spotswood appears to attribute the Trump Administration’s cancellation of federally funded projects planned for Marin City, San Rafael and Corte Madera to retribution for Marin’s support of President Donald Trump’s opponents in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections (“Huffman is getting under Trump administration’s skin,” Jan. 18).

Perhaps a more proximate cause may be Marin’s continued refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcements, its support for lawsuits against the administration to maintain diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as well as periodic heated criticism from Rep. Jared Huffman and other Marin elected officials.

In my opinion, Marin’s leaders should put practical support for county residents and their needed projects ahead of performative gestures for undocumented immigrants.

Trump has reversed course when local officials are conciliatory, as when San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie deftly deflected Trump’s threat to send in troops. Perhaps if Huffman and Marin officials take a similarly conciliatory tack, they can reinstate the canceled grants. It’s seldom wise to bite the hand you want to feed you.

— James Holmes, Larkspur