To be, gratuitously

Today I heard an interviewer on KQED radio say, "You're someone who has lived in the Bay Area for many years." Why not say, "You've lived in the Bay Area for many years"?

I have heard this construction in various forms quite frequently. Weak communicators seem to like the verb "to be." I don't agree with eliminating "to be" entirely, as some have suggested, but it's a good idea to think twice when you find yourself using it.