Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Feb. 7, 2026

It’s time for voters to properly support Ross Valley schools

I am writing about the news reported in the article published Feb. 1 with the headline “Ross Valley School District drafts $4.3M in budget cuts.” RVSD, the backbone of San Anselmo and Fairfax, could be facing multiple school closures, teacher layoffs, larger class sizes and dramatic cuts to services.

Last year, district voters rejected Measure E in support of our schools. This is what that no vote looks like: fewer teachers, fewer resources and a worse education for our kids — in one of the state’s wealthiest counties. With closures looming, I worry Ross Valley schools are being pushed toward the same survival-mode funding reality as the most low-income districts statewide.

In my view, this happened in no small part because of opposition to Measure E from the Marin Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers group. It felt like a scorched-earth campaign. I worry the money to support the opposition came from people outside the Ross Valley. The loss was disappointing, as I considered it to be a very modest, grassroots, local measure that would have cost taxpayers, on average, $22 a month per household. In that race, I think the coalition used tactics of fearmongering to manufacture panic, then called it “fiscal responsibility.”

But the real calamity is already here. When you kneecap your own public schools, you don’t “save taxpayers.” You create a slow-motion collapse — not a tsunami, but an endless ocean of waves: families leave, private school becomes the only option for those who can afford it, class sizes balloon and the community pays the bill anyway — in torpedoed property values, instability and economic outflows.

Marin County is one of the wealthiest places in California. If we can’t fund our own public schools, what exactly are we doing here?

Ross Valley voters will have one last chance soon. Ignore the noise. Ignore the propaganda. Vote like you actually want a future in this community.

— Massimo Pacchione, San Anselmo

Concerned that San Rafael may no longer be a livable city

As a very long-term resident of San Rafael, I’ve observed a steady erosion of the historical character and livability of the city. A few significant concerns of mine are highlighted below.

San Rafael is the transport hub of Marin County, where vehicle, bus and rail transit, cyclists and pedestrians converge. As a result, and in contrast to other Marin communities, it appears to be disproportionally affected by state mandates.

I am concerned current housing mandates, which now usurp most local planning discretion, are leading to uncontrollable high-rise building madness. San Rafael may soon become the Manhattan of Marin County. It is incumbent on our elected officials to forcefully champion the return of some local control instead of accepting all permissions handed to profit-oriented developers.

I think city governance has shifted priority from workforce housing toward senior assisted living. Prior to the mandates, it had planning discretion. Now, I suspect projects originally permitted for workforce housing are being derailed by developers claiming they don’t “pencil out.” Too often, they switch to a for-profit senior assisted living business project for the property. I think members of the San Rafael Planning Commission and the San Rafael City Council are getting duped by the bait and switch.

Homelessness continues to be out of control in San Rafael. I consider it a visible blight. Recently, residents have highlighted a lack of transparency from city officials in regard to the planned temporary homeless shelter on Merrydale Road. I agree with them and think the issue goes beyond the Merrydale fiasco.

It appears to me that vehicle speed limits are consistently ignored with minimal enforcement throughout San Rafael. It jeopardizes the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. Ineffective responses such as old-fashioned speed traps do not deter behaviors.

Make San Rafael livable again.

— David Law, San Rafael

Impacts of changes at Yosemite are heartbreaking

I read with sadness and disgust the article published Jan. 22 with the headline “At Yosemite, rangers are scarce and visitors have gone wild.”

I think it further underscores the tragedy that seemingly everything President Donald Trump touches turns to ruin — our institutions of education, research, medicine, social support, diplomacy, humanitarian aid, the arts and, now, the crown jewel known as the National Park Service. The Trump regime appears to favor extraction over preservation, individual greed over the common good and privatization over public stewardship.

At this rate it won’t be long before Trump slaps his name (probably in tacky neon) on the entrance to Yosemite and elsewhere, and invites in McDonald’s concessions and slot machines for the masses. They will happily avail themselves of a free pass on Trump’s birthday, leaving park rangers, docents and scientists to clean up the mess left behind.

— John Redfield Brooks, Fairfax

Free expression, meritocracy, equal justice under the law

Marin County has long valued civic engagement, open debate and strong local institutions. These qualities do not arise by accident; they depend on a shared commitment to free expression, the rule of law and an informed public willing to hold power to account. When any of these weaken, democracy rarely collapses overnight. It erodes gradually, often quietly, sometimes under the guise of necessity.

I believe deeply in free expression, meritocracy and equal justice under the law. A market-driven economy, paired with strong institutions, rewards innovation and responsible risk-taking while creating real opportunity. These are not abstractions; they are practical requirements for a society that seeks to remain both prosperous and free.

Patriotism is rooted in stewardship. Nations have both the right and the responsibility to safeguard their sovereignty, civic culture and long-term interests. Healthy nationalism is not about grievance or exclusion; it is about strengthening institutions at home so a country can engage the world with credibility. That stewardship begins with ethical governance. No democracy can function when laws are applied selectively, enforcement lacks transparency or those entrusted with authority appear insulated from accountability. The rule of law must mean equal application, due process and serious investigation of misconduct wherever it exists.

Recent national events, including controversial immigration enforcement actions intended to target undocumented individuals with criminal histories, have tested public trust. A sovereign nation has the right to enforce its borders and remove those who commit serious crimes. At the same time, enforcement must be lawful and accountable. These principles are inseparable.

Here in Marin, where school boards, town councils, courts and community trust matter deeply, protecting these values is not partisan. It is a civic obligation. Democracy endures not because it is loud or perfect, but because citizens remain informed, institutions accountable, and leaders bound by the rule of law.

— Igor Still, Tiburon

Compliance under threat is not good governance

Did you hear that? That’s the sound of my eyes rolling back so far into my head after reading James Holmes’ letter to the editor published Jan. 25. He wrote about how Marin would be better off if only it would prioritize practicality over “performative gestures for undocumented immigrants” and “maintaining (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs.”

Perhaps Marin would be better off if its privileged residents would remember that compliance under threat is not governance; that due process extends to all people regardless of their legal status; that our leaders using their privilege and position to fight for this right is hardly a performative gesture.

Federal funding should not be on a leash, shortened or extended depending on mood or ingratiation. Being more cooperative to this administration in the face of childish petulance and cruelty under the guise of “leadership” is the last thing many of us want. I want to say thank you to local leaders and please keep fighting the fight.

— Courtney DiCarlo, Mill Valley