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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, March 10 MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 10, 2016 @ 12:01 am Posted Mar. 10, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Allow rental construction Four days ago I placed an ad on Craigslist for a two-bedroom apartment at $790/month (six months ago it was renting at $720/month). It rented the same day, and since then I have received over 50 phone calls. In 2015 the Medford City Council and the Water Commission have worked in unison to increase utility fees by 25 percent in 2015, in order to finance multi-million-dollar projects. All the while, rental constructions are at a nine-year standstill, due to prohibitive city permit fees, along with massive red tape. A 1 percent vacancy rate has resulted. The perfect storm has ensued. Yearly 10 percent residential rental increases are now reality for many renters in Medford. Stop the Medford utility cost increases. Put large projects up to a vote instead. Otherwise, renters will find their rents doubling within the next eight years. Working families deserve better from our Medford City Council. James Work Central Point Follow the money? I have heard that another site has been suggested for the Costco relocation. It is on the corner of Vilas and Highway 62. I wonder who will benefit the most from this suggestion. It is the auto dealerships that would love to have the traffic and may have "pull" with the Planning Department? Or is it the owner of the property who also may have an "in"? Do we follow the money? Karen Whalen Medford Horrified by road design As a somewhat recent transplant to Southern Oregon, I have been amazed/horrified at the design of the roadways. The Oregon Department of Transportation has now outdone itself in its flair for the novel — and the dangerous. The recently opened Exit 24 interchange at Fern Valley Road — with a hefty price tag of $72 million — is the coup de grace of poorly designed freeway exits. Personally, I thought that Exit 28 couldn't be topped, with near misses as drivers dodge each other at odd angles. However, after attempting to negotiate the new interchange, with its X-pattern of crossover that seems to have been created more for a figure skater than a motorist, my initial thought was, What were they smoking when they designed this — the local weed? As yet, the interchange is poorly lit, so anyone attempting to navigate this at night would have to have a death wish. Without a doubt, this interchange will be the death knell to the already half-empty nearby shopping center. As an aside, much like the aforementioned other two road hazards, the roundabout at Highland and Siskiyou Boulevard was an equally poorly designed idea, to be avoided at all costs. Is this the (collective) best that the powers that be at ODOT can offer? Jacqueline Davis Medford Vote with your heart Any nation or country that kills its most precious gift of life deserves a great government like ours. We have come a long way, baby, since 1973. Vote with your heart. Joan White Medford People want change The huge support and overwhelming popularity of Donald Trump is a direct result of people's displeasure with the Obama administration. Whether you agree with Trump or not, you have to admit that most rational people want change. And not the kind Obama has in mind. Richard Cody Applegate MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 10, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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