Had enough of 'minority rules'

Re "Deadline missed; deficit grows" (Page A1, July 1): Another deadline missed. More IOUs. Minority rules.

Until a budget can be passed with a simple majority vote, this state and its residents will be held at gunpoint by the few narrow-minded individuals with their own agendas who do not adhere to the ideals of the majority of the population.

So where do I sign up to support a constitutional convention? I am positive there are more of us out there.

– Colby Franklin, Sacramento

'Right-wing rag' loses subscriber

Re "Pension like it's 1999: Good start" (Editorial, July 1): For a long time now, I've been extremely unhappy with The Bee's editorial policy toward state employees. Your unflagging criticism toward pay, pensions and benefits has become too much. You have gone from being a pro-labor newspaper to a right-wing rag.

I've been a subscriber to The Bee for more than 40 years, but your nasty editorial was too much. I am canceling my subscription and I hope many more state employees and retirees follow suit. Why should we support an enemy?

– Roger Cook, Lincoln

Prison work's not for everyone

Re "Bring prison guards down a notch" (Letters, June 30): Joyce Williams is misinformed of what we as corrections officers are subjected to.

Would you like to work an eight-hour shift? How does the thought of urine, feces and spit being thrown at and on you feel, or the possibility of getting stuck, slashed or knifed with prison-made weapons, which could result in injury or loss of life? A high number of inmates are infected with AIDS, HIV, hepatitis C, and other medical and mental health conditions.

We have one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs on the planet. We supervise and walk the yard among people who are lifers, active gang members who committed such acts as murder, robbery and sexual assault. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has a very high percentage of officers with college degrees and prior military and law enforcement experience, who day in and day out make a sacrifice for their families.

Ms. Williams, when you woke up this morning and as you readied yourself for work, did you wonder if it was going to be your last day on your job? Just a thought.

– Melvyn Wright, Fair Oaks

Teen says 'no' to legalizing pot

I am 14 years old and will be entering high school in August. I think legalizing marijuana is a bad idea.

Legalizing it will mean that more people will use it, and it will result in more people being under the influence in everyday activities. This will cause more accidents and crime. I believe it will also lead to more kids smoking pot and will affect future generations.

The minimal benefits from tax revenues are not worth the effects on our state and its people.

– Jessie Dudley, Roseville

Student exchanges enrich all

Re "Weak economy scares off hosts for foreign exchange students" (Our Region, June 30): In the past two years, we have hosted four bright and enthusiastic high school students, from Germany, Colombia, Sweden and Finland.

We assure you that this has been one of the most gratifying experiences of our lives.

These days, it may seem like a burden to host a student. Thousands of young people are awaiting an opportunity to experience American family life. What they receive has less to do with material things and more to do with the opportunity to live in our community, learn about our culture and improve their English.

Your rewards are immeasurable. Your children particularly benefit from being introduced to foreign languages and cultural traditions without leaving the country. You can expose the student to the best of American life and traditions. By the end of the year, your "adoptive" son or daughter seems like your own child.

The benefits of the exchange experience far outweigh the cost of a few extra pancakes at the breakfast table. You won't miss the extra pancakes.

– Tom Sebo and Cheryl Young, Carmichael

Pay for news? What a concept

My comments do not come from an article in The Bee but from a conversation with my cousin at a wedding. We were talking about the newspaper industry, and she said – with thorough conviction – how she felt the papers were going to be "going away."

We are both in our 40s. I made a point to say: If we do nothing, yes, the papers will go away. But what will that mean? We have institutions, like The Sacramento Bee, and for generations we have trusted their hierarchy of accountability in what news is worth printing, as well as the accuracy with which it is presented.

The discussion went on to me opening up the idea that if this new generation of Internet-using adults would like the same accountability, they should pay for their news whether they get it online, or do it the old-fashioned way like us and subscribe in print.

I think this threw her for a loop – as if no one had bridged this subject before. The next generation of adults is maturing to a point where they may indeed want an institution to trust with the reporting of their news.

Where is that discussion?

– Sonya Schumacher, Clarksburg