Matsui listens to one person

Re "Matsui takes the pulse of the public" (Editorials, Oct. 10): If you can't attend Rep. Doris Matsui's meetings, this is what you will miss: Matsui will smile, shake your hand, add your name to her mailing list, may ask for a small contribution in the future, and then will vote exactly as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells her.

A very young, idealistic political science graduate on her staff will then send you Form Letter 134, which is the "say nothing" letter thanking you for your participation and evading the fact that she doesn't give a hoot what your opinion is because she wants to get her share of Pelosi's treasure chest so she can pay for her victory in the next election.

- Sandra Simpson, Sacramento

Headline misconstrues article

Re "ERs bear brunt of cuts to mental health" (Viewpoints, Oct. 10): Dr. Nathan Fairman has written a thoughtful and concerned opinion piece on the impacts of mental health cuts to people who are experiencing crisis and need emergency care.

The Bee, however, headlined the piece inappropriately.

Fairman clearly describes how people are suffering and bearing the brunt of cuts to mental health services. Headlining the story "ERs bear brunt of cuts to mental health" places blame on vulnerable people who are in crisis for imposing on emergency room services, which is not what the piece said.

In this and other editorial matters, The Bee seems to have adopted the attitude that people who receive vital safety net services are to blame for the economic meltdown and its attendant budget crises.

In fact, I believe it was people on the other end of the economic divide who precipitated the crisis, while the people with the least power and privilege are bearing the consequences in all health and human services programs.

- Laurel Mildred, Sacramento

Mentally ill deserve best care

Re "ERs bear brunt of cuts to mental health" (Viewpoints, Oct. 10): Dr. Nathan Fairman's special article to The Bee was most encouraging to see and hopefully a wake-up call for action to alleviate our mental health crisis in Sacramento. His first-hand account should urge us all to demand better attention to where our tax dollars are needed.

I'm a volunteer with NAMI Sacramento, and I have dreaded the consequences of our community's budget cuts. We must put our mentally ill family and friends at the top of our list for health care. Without proper care, they are suffering a slow, agonizing and frightening death.

- Lawrence A. Liseno, Sacramento

Third chance for the governor?

Re "State mostly fails to measure up" (Page A1, Oct. 8): Karen Davis applauds the efforts of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's failed attempts to establish universal health care in California. In fact, the governor twice vetoed Senate Bill 840, authored by former Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, in 2006 and 2008. SB 840 was the universal health care reform bill that specifically called for a single-payer approach.

Though a legacy was twice established by the California Legislature in passage of SB 840 (no other state legislature has passed a similar measure as comprehensive or cost-effective as SB 840), the governor chose not to be a part of it.

He may have yet another chance, however, when SB 810, the new single-payer bill authored by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, continues the legislative process early next year.

The uninsured as well as the underinsured residents of California certainly hope so!

- Jerry Marr, Davis

Tension? Here's why it exists

Re "Tension? What tension?" (Letters, Oct. 10): The letter writer who knows of no tension at our City Hall must have been hibernating in Patagonia all year. Let's educate him.

There is tension in the council chamber and in our city because of a pretentious mayor who wants a dictator's power and means, as mayor, to start at the top and work his way up. He claims to know all and be able to do all, yet he has no solution to housing our burgeoning horde of demanding homeless people, nor can he tell us how to develop our two railyards, nor how to build a sports arena, nor how to relieve our city's budget woes, nor how to stop the flood of citizens who are losing their jobs.