Gentrification is the Columbus problem no one is talking about

Columbus Dispatch

Gentrification is a renter's nightmare

Re "Homelessness worsening to all-time high in Columbus, Franklin County" May 3: I've been in construction for decades and watch everything coming out of the ground in this city.

There are homes and apartments being completed here every day.

Cathy Levine , co-President of BREAD, says is is shameful that so many older, more affordable homes are being replaced by shiny new ones. She sees it happening first hand when she and her husband take bike trips around the city. Photo show Oak Street on the east side - approximately WIlson avenue to Ohio avenue.
Cathy Levine , co-President of BREAD, says is is shameful that so many older, more affordable homes are being replaced by shiny new ones. She sees it happening first hand when she and her husband take bike trips around the city. Photo show Oak Street on the east side - approximately WIlson avenue to Ohio avenue.

The issue is builders and developers are setting their price point on rents beyond the reach of people in the newly developed community.

Gentrification.

Simply put, those earning below $15 an hour simply cannot afford to rent them.

Nicholas Russell, Columbus

Presidential immunity would be a crime

I am writing this letter to the editor in hopes that someone smarter than me can figure out how the Supreme Court of the United States could grant total immunity to the president without putting their own jobs in jeopardy.

It sounds like the president could throw a former office holder in jail, disband the court, and be totally immune to prosecution.

Something to think about.

Ruth Hoover, Westerville

Drownings are preventable

Did you know that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4?

May, National Water Safety Month, is a great time to review the importance of water safety with your family.

To prevent tragic drowning events, here are a few steps to take:

An adult should watch children at all times while they are near water; children should never be left alone near any water; all toys should be kept away from any water area; children should wear a life jacket when around any water; water should be dumped out of inflatable pools after each use; all caregivers should learn CPR; and a four-sided isolation fence should surround home pools.

Drowning is preventable. By taking action, we can ensure that our children have a safe and happy summer.

Dr. Nicole Clayton, Columbus

Brown must condemn the anarchy

Words matter. They’re powerful.

What we say and how we say it can either serve as motivation for good or sow the seeds of hate and destruction.

The violent and repulsive attacks on Jewish students on college campuses have nothing to do with free speech. Students and paid protestors are seizing campuses, destroying buildings, assaulting police officers and preventing Jews from simply attending the classes they paid for. But their rhetoric is even worse: they call for death to America and death to Israel.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown had the chance to use the power of his words to condemn the anarchy and these repulsive antisemitic radicals.

He did not.

As a matter of fact, Brown supported the rights of these violent protestors, fighting for them and their right to lash out. When asked by the media about these vicious agitators, Brown said they always have the right to speak out and they should.

The Jewish community — my community — needs leadership in this time of chaos, and Brown is completely absent. By empowering the anarchists who despise Israel, Brown has let us know where he stands: with Iran, with Hamas, with radicals — but most certainly not with America or Israel.

Alan Shvartsman, Columbus

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Is Columbus being gentrified?

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