Spotswood land-use description misses mark

Recently, Dick Spotswood chastised Democratic leaders who he claims think single-family home zoning is racist (“Some Bay Area Democrats taking housing views too far,” July 18). He writes that “forms of land use are colorblind.”

Apparently he has no idea what implicit bias or unintentional discrimination are. Zoning laws are not explicitly racist. They are implicitly racist, as they act to prevent Black people from owning their own homes without explicitly saying so.

You can only buy a home if you have sufficient wealth entitling you to get a bank loan. However, a myriad of laws have prevented Black Americans and other people of color from accumulating wealth. A 2019 study concluded that White Americans have nearly eight times the wealth of Black residents: $188,000 vs. $24,000. Try to buy a house if your wealth is only $24,000.

I recall a famous local antihousing crusader saying a few years ago that everyone is entitled to a single-family home. Well sure, if you can afford one.

To add insult to injury, homeowners benefit from the rise in property values and IRS welfare in the form of mortgage interest tax deductions (welfare whose cost is much greater than welfare payments to poor families which racists love to criticize). Thus, home ownership increases one’s wealth, widening the gap between the “haves” and “have nots” even further.

Spotswood’s commentary simply gives comfort to those “liberal” Marinites who want to prevent denser housing, which is far cheaper to buy.

Shame on him.

— Stephen Bingham,

San Rafael