The ominous auto execs trend

A few weeks ago, the CEOs of the big three automakers flew their jets into Washington (didn't even jet pool) and asked for $25 billion.

They're back, this time driving their hybrids, asking for $34 billion.

Pray that next time, they don't walk back.

– Steve House, Grass Valley

High price for inefficiency

Once again, our political representatives have put the citizens of California in the middle of their mismanagement of the state budget. Their solution to revenue shortfalls is always the same: raise taxes, but never reduce spending.

As a former manager for a large health care system, at budget time, all departments were routinely told to "reduce your budget at least 10 percent," and we did. How difficult would it be to impose such a mandate on the multiple departments within the state system?

Of course, the most cost-saving and common-sense solution of all would be to have a part-time Legislature. After all, more time is spent in political partisan battles and immature finger-pointing, which does not benefit California. We are paying a high price for inefficiency.

– Sharon L. Gill, Sacramento

Debt is the masses' new opium

This whole business of restoring confidence in our failed economic system is absurd. I am sick of hearing that we need to restore consumer confidence by increasing our lending and borrowing. I feel as though I am living in a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale where I am expected to "oohhh" and "ahhh" at the emperor's new clothes. We all know perfectly well it was our addiction to lending and borrowing money we could not afford that got us into this mess.

The idea that we can lend and borrow our way out of this crisis is embarrassing and insulting. We have all seen what happens when we borrow and lend with not enough actual value to back it up. It's called the global financial meltdown of 2008.

Debt has become the new opium of the masses. It keeps the masses calm, but in reality contributes to the larger problem, which is our addiction to debt.

It is correct that we have lost confidence in the capitalist system. When something has proved ineffectual and immoral, it is healthy and appropriate to respond by losing confidence in it. I wish more lawmakers would acknowledge this obvious fact.

– Marguerite McKenna, Carmichael

Agriculture vs. industry in Yolo

The 2030 Yolo County General Plan needs to balance competing and conflicting land uses such as industrial, housing and agriculture. Agricultural land being converted to non-agricultural uses is reflected in leapfrog development and poor policy choices. Better-planned areas with infrastructure designed for urban uses ensures residential and urban users protection from potential future unhappiness or conflict with agriculture.

Less than four months ago, agricultural land was rezoned to 91 acres of heavy industrial. Mitigation included converting ag land to open space, presumably for habitat. County supervisors assured us it was only 91 acres, no more; however, the general plan shows a 191acre heavy industrial use at this site, including open space.

Heavy industrial zoning allows for 24-hour-a-day intense outside operation with offsite impacts. The 191-acre heavy industrial expansion sacrifices adjacent organic farms, ranches and historical agricultural zones where people live and work.

It is not fun living and operating an agricultural business next to the 91 acres now. The expansion emphasizes poor planning driven by greed with little hope of individual landowners prohibiting this change by the county. It is especially vexing given quantities of underutilized city industrial land that already has infrastructure, sewers, water and roads vs. rural areas not designed for heavy urban uses.

– Brenda Cedarblade, Woodland

No expert on women

Re "Women as victims? Not true" (Letters, Nov. 30): I was offended by William Rose's misogynistic comments regarding women. Rose says the glass ceiling is "self-imposed" and blames women for their "unwillingness to work." Really?