Poseidon’s desalination plant would be a boondoggle
Desalination plant
Re “Dithering must end in California’s too-long desalination debate” (Editorials, May 11): Orange County does not need Poseidon’s water. The majority of our water comes from our aquifer, which is constantly replenished with purified recycled water. To argue that this plant will help the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a red herring. The proposed desalination plant can only provide a minuscule amount of water compared to what is pumped from the delta. The only thing that has changed is politics. Poseidon has brought on celebrity lobbyist Barbara Boxer, and we are seeing her efforts. I’m surprised to see one of the most respected newspapers in California — which for decades we have looked to for reasonable guidance for what is happening in Sacramento — being swayed by Boxer and not the facts.
Garry Brown, Costa Mesa
A grain of sale
In an era of alternative facts, we should take too-good-to-be-true claims from water companies with a grain of salt. While Poseidon has spent millions trying to sell its desalination cash cows, many communities have forged ahead with smart water supply solutions that save money and energy.
The Bee’s editorial left out the two most important reasons so many people oppose Poseidon’s Huntington Beach plant: we don’t need the water, and it’s a bad deal. Hard working ratepayers in Orange County should not have to foot the bill for this billion dollar boondoggle when we can meet all water needs with affordable solutions like harvesting rain water, expanding recycling, and increasing efficiency.
Poseidon must stop playing politics with our water. It is a public resource, not a profit center.
Marcela Graudins, San Francisco
School start time
Re “A smart way to put children first, ease stress” (Editorials, May 11): The Sacramento Bee's editorial board endorses SB 328 which would prohibit middle and high schools from starting before 8:30. That shows a lack of understanding about the institutional needs of schools and how they work within our communities. Later school starts mean families will have to figure out how to get kids to school later, placing a higher burden on parents. Schools will be tasked with additional supervision. After-school activities will be pushed later, further interrupting family schedules and routines, including bedtime hours. The solution is to stop moving clocks back for Daylight Savings Time. The sun would rise an hour earlier and the benefits of changing school start times would be naturally affected.
Thomas Funk, Elk Grove
Nixon-Trump
Re “Trump firing Comey reinforces need for special prosecutor to investigate Russian ties” (Editorials, May 10): I'm too young to have experienced President Richard Nixon, but I can't imagine that anything he did could possibly be as bizarre, suspicious, and tyrannical as anything I've seen since Jan. 20. Impeach Crooked Donald Trump, then lock him up.
Matt Nelsenador, Sacramento
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This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Poseidon’s desalination plant would be a boondoggle."