Hola from Santa Maria, Ms. Tasseff (“SLO could learn from Santa Maria,” Aug. 20). I would like to add to her comments about the city of Santa Maria. Along with the community center, the new library, the excellent streets, police and fire departments, and dedicated city employees, we also have an extreme gang problem, the highest hit-and-run statistics in the state and quite possibly the country, a very high crime rate, an illegal alien problem that is being completely ignored by both the city and the police, and a quality of life that is going down, day by day. Other than that, the city is damn near perfect.

About 20 months ago, I bought one of those foreclosed houses Tasseff mentioned. Two days later, I was burglarized: welcome to Santa Maria. My house is now worth about 25 percent less than I paid for it. If the market comes back, I will be joining her in San Luis Obispo County. Maybe she would be willing to trade houses. Let me tell her, it is not all roses here.