Washington Monthly - September/October 2012 - 12

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THE BEST MODELS ARE FREE
he cover of the July/August issue was brilliant and devastating. It brought tears to my eyes. You could feel the exasperation of the woman. She is telling her husband that there is no place left to cut the household budget. And the pain in the man’s eyes is heartrending. He is afraid to quit his dead-end job (he’s a refrigeration mechanic or a manager at Home Depot, or he runs a small auto-repair shop) and knows that he and his wife will be living in semipoverty retirement. His worst fear is that they become a burden to their children, who are already struggling themselves. They know they are going nowhere but down. The photo is enough to make you want to start a revolution. Tina Shrider should get the photojournalism equivalent of the Oscar. Barry Parsons Madison, Fla. Note: The couple used was actually Washington Monthly senior fellow Phillip Longman and his wife, Sandy. He would very much appreciate a raise, but his actual retirement will, he hopes, probably keep him safely above the poverty line.

San Francisco has more employees than San Jose is that San Francisco is a city and a county; San Jose is not.) Hank Plante Palm Springs, Calif.

tevens captures the essence of San Francisco government—a body whose primary function is to enrich its employees and secondarily to provide services. San Jose is not an apt comparison, but Philadelphia is, and, by comparison, San Francisco wastes staggering amounts of taxpayer money and delivers little—see the public transit system and the proliferation of potholes across the city. CJRoses Via Web comment

WHY NOT RENT OUT YOUR BEDROOMS?
lake Fleetwood’s article about homeowners facing legal problems for renting out rooms in their own houses (“DIY B&B,” July/August 2012) provides another example of established bullies trying to crush the little guy. Someone has finally figured out a way to help people with their underwater mortgages, joblessness, and general financial troubles. Is it really hurting the hotel industry or the tax base when neighbors and travelers are helping each other to afford trips that they otherwise wouldn’t have made? I can’t tell you how many guests we’ve had who have told us that our affordable rooms made it possible for them to travel. Their stays make it possible for us to pay our mortgage. I would think that banks would be getting down on their knees and thanking Airbnb, the Internet booking company that helps connect potential renters to hosts, for preventing foreclosures. Cities should be thanking Airbnb for attracting so many new tourists, travelers, interns, etc., who are bolstering the local economy. In dire financial times, a little creativity is needed. Airbnb is doing its part to help correct some of the huge losses we’ve endured due to inept government regulators and greedy lenders who overlooked many

WILLIE BROWN’S CITY

ith regards to Elizabeth Lesly Stevens’s article on former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (“The Power Broker,” July/August 2012), it appears that yet another East Coast magazine has swooped in to the West Coast to tell us nothing we didn’t already know. To capture the essence of Willie Brown you have to understand what those of us who have reported on him for thirty years understand: he is the best daily news story you can find. On a dull day, all we had to do was find Willie, get a sound-bite, and we’d have a story. He is surprisingly transparent (for someone who sees the whole chessboard), and he likes nothing more than to share his tidbits with reporters who get him—which is why he’s good copy. (I won’t nitpick, but you should know the reason
September/October 2012

Washington Monthly - September/October 2012

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