NTSB gets it, not Gov. Brown

Re "NTSB urges ban on all cell use by drivers" (Page A1, Dec. 14): Finally, a federal agency has pointed out the elephant in the room. Cellphone use – whether it's talking or texting, whether it's hands-free or not – is a dangerous distraction that has caused untold deaths and destruction.

It took 50 years for us to recognize the same thing about drunken driving, and decades for drunken driving penalties to evolve to a level where they are actually a deterrent.

I can't imagine what Gov. Jerry Brown was thinking when he vetoed recent state legislation increasing penalties for using a cellphone while driving.

– Yvonne Yu, Elk Grove

The other side of House riders

Re "House clogs up Congress with polluter riders" (Editorials, Dec. 14): To read The Bee's editorial, you'd think all Republicans want to pollute the world. They even want to kill bighorn sheep!

However, the editorial board never points out that the EPA and many of its fascist regulations have decimated jobs and turned entire regions into welfare states.

The Keystone Pipeline has been approved by bipartisan enviro-impact reports, will create thousands of jobs, and will reduce our demand for Middle Eastern oil.

Instead, the editorial board takes a shot at Republicans and presents only one side of the issue. – Mike McKone, Gold River

Fix water pipes before arena

Re "Arena funding advances" (Page A1, Dec. 14): Got the raise-your-water-rate letter from the city of Sacramento last week. Our infrastructure needs repair, and I'm happy to pay my share.

But the timing is bad. It comes just days after City Hall announced an arena financing plan that sounds like a shell game.

I just can't understand how a sports arena became our most pressing infrastructure concern.

–Will Shuck, Sacramento

Remember Natomas blight?

Re "Some on council urge regional arena funding" (Our Region, Dec. 15): When the Kings were considering a move to Anaheim, the main argument from Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council against such a move was that blight and economic distress would result in Natomas should the Kings vacate Arco Arena (aka Power Balance Pavilion).

Now that the council has committed to leasing taxpayer assets to enable such a move, are they still concerned about blight and economic distress in Natomas? What definitive plan is in place to "re-purpose" Arco Arena/PBP? Where will the money come from for such a re-purposing?

Will the city's water and sewer systems be next on the auction block?

– Lincoln Keill, Sacramento

Radio extremism prevails

Re "Protesters also target conservative radio" (Our Region, Dec. 13): Conservative radio brainwashes listeners with a bombardment of right-wing slanted views and lies while complaining how biased the "liberal media" has become. It preys on the anger of listeners in order to get them to tune in.

The hosts misinform the public with stories that started the birther movement, death panels, and President Barack Obama as a Muslim, socialist, Nazi who wants to take away your guns. To them George W. Bush could do no wrong, and Obama nothing right.

This is party before country with slanted views taken to the extreme.

As election season nears, the misinformation and extreme views will only increase. These hate stations damage our country, but what do they care as long as ratings are up?

– Albert Ortins, Carmichael

Change the radio channel

Just a heads up for the protesters who believe that Sacramento should not be able to listen to conservative talk radio: There is a little knob or button on your radio, which allows you to choose any station you wish.

I think there are at least 20 possible stations on my car radio. If you don't want to listen to conservative talk radio, don't. It is your "right" to choose not to.

However, it is also everyone else's right to choose to listen to whatever they want to hear and those options should be available in the radio market. That is what freedom of speech is all about. I don't believe it is your right to tell me what I can and cannot hear.

– Patti Gantenbein, Carmichael

Liberals dominate other venues

Apparently, Sue Wilson, who led the local protest at Clear Channel, has never watched any of the major television networks, whether news, entertainment or talk show. If so, she would realize that those networks, along with the likes of Jon Stewart, Jay Leno and David Letterman, all expound on liberal issues. Though comedy, they still have a profound impact on all who listen. The liberals get their points across. If you don't like the message, simply change the station. Check out the First Amendment!

– Sharon Daniels, El Dorado Hills

Public airwaves require balance

The "Occupy Clear Channel" protesters have a legitimate gripe. Radio stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission have an obligation to serve the "public interest." Yes, they have a right to make money doing it, but their use of the publicly owned airwaves must serve the "public interest."

Clear Channel's KFBK and KSTE stations here in Sacramento fail to serve the "public interest" by airing only one-sided, right wing talk shows, without programs that offer alternate viewpoints. And their latest move – to simulcast KFBK's talk programming on one of their FM stations – is a yet another affront to their "public interest" obligation.

Without censoring the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Michael Savage, the lineup on these stations should be balanced with other programming offering alternative viewpoints. This is especially critical in an election year.

– Roger Smith, Loomis

Reduce buses, increase smog

Re "Brown details trigger cuts" (Page A1, Dec. 14): Is there no common sense in our state government? All we hear about is how we need California to be green and reduce emissions, but when the governor eliminates home to school transportation services, we now will see an increase of about 38 more cars per bus driving their children to school.

California spent millions of dollars retrofitting school buses to meet clean air requirements as reported by the California Air Resource Board's website, and now the governor wants to park those buses.

Go ahead, spend money on the bullet train to nowhere and put children at risk by taking away the yellow school bus. Our Legislature and governor should be ashamed.

– Daniel Joseph, Sacramento

A boon to wealth creation

Re "Government causes woes" (Letters, Dec. 13): The letter writer repeats the Republican mantra that "government can't create wealth."

Can he cite even one unbiased scientific study that confirms this? Would he have argued against actions such as the Alaska purchase, the interstate highway system, research and investment that created the Internet, our state's water infrastructure and more as "boondoggles"?

None of these created any wealth? Really? Repeating nonsense enough times does not make it true.

– Robin Marose, Rio Linda

A solid foundation for wealth

Meanwhile, back on planet Earth, American government continues to provide the foundation for what wealth we have by funding research, infrastructure and human capital.

Whether lacking the Internet, satellites, silicon chips or flu vaccine, America's net worth would be smaller without American government.

Crops spoil (losing value) when farm-to-market roads are bad. Not even that Mistress of the Universe, Meg Whitman, could move eBay to Russia because the postal service was so unreliable.

– Mark Dempsey, OrangevaleWRITE US A LETTER

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