Broker fees

In her recent Herald article, Senator Lydia Edwards proposes yet another government interventionist approach to a problem that barely scratches the surface of the actual challenge at hand.

Bottom line: a ban on broker fees and push for insurance-based deposit alternatives misses the mark. It treats the symptoms of high housing costs — while ignoring the real disease: restrictive zoning, constrained supply, and overregulation.

Her position on tenant protections presents a well-meaning but ultimately misguided policy agenda. Yes, housing is expensive. Yes, upfront costs are high. But the cause isn’t brokers or deposits — it’s the artificial scarcity created by our own laws. Towns block density, slow permitting, and use zoning like a velvet rope to keep people out. Until we fix that, affordability will remain out of reach no matter how many fees we ban.

Equally flawed is the claim that homeownership disparities in 2025 are driven by “systemic barriers.” That phrase suggests current, intentional discrimination. But most of these disparities stem from economic variables: age, income, household structure, and wealth accumulation. Redlining and credit bias have been illegal for decades, and today, minority buyers have access to more programs than ever. If inequity persists, we need to ask whether our policy choices — like limiting housing supply — are entrenching it.

Reforms that reduce barriers to entry sound good, but when they increase landlord risk, remove market signals, and don’t address the root problem of supply, they’re not solutions — they’re distractions.

Want real housing justice? Legalize density and fix the T to make the entire region accessible. Remove parking mandates. Eliminate exclusionary zoning. Let builders build and let markets work. Until then, we’re rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.

Gary Durst

North Billerica

Tattoos

Much thanks to Scott Liftman for writing a 150% common sense column on the absolute net negatives that tattoos bring to our lives.  In brief, tattoos are a net negative to our finances, our health, our careers, our personalities, and our social lives.

They are a waste of money that could be better spent or invested elsewhere, ink in your body is not exactly healthy, and people in any aspect of life who want to reject you due to your having a tattoo will indeed do so.  In addition, getting a tattoo as a way of finding meaning in life is as worthless as one can possibly imagine.  In summation, stay away from tattoos, spend and/or invest your money in a far more efficient manner, and find other ways to improve your life, as having tattoos will not improve any aspect your life in any way, shape, or form.

Tony Siciliano

Framingham