Telecommunications companies seek to remove copper-wired landlines
Cell transmitters
Re “Cell transmitters on every block? Cities, counties fight to retain control over expanding industry” (sacbee.com, Aug. 6): El Dorado Hills Fire Chief Dave Roberts is quoted as saying the Senate Bill 649 roll-out of wireless transmitters would add critical redundancy to phone systems in areas affected by wildfires. That’s not the complete picture. Telecoms aren’t trying to provide redundancy. They’re trying to remove our copper-wired landlines and replace them with wireless, which cost less to maintain. This would eliminate the caller-locator feature of 911 and the power-backup system that keeps landline phones operational when power goes out. Not such a great redundancy. Assembly Bill 2395 on 2016 was just such an effort, and it was defeated. Here’s another problem. SB 649 would allow telecoms to stack equipment on utility poles. The 2007 Malibu fire started when overloaded power poles snapped. Phone companies were fined millions of dollars. The same telecoms support SB 649.
William Now, Carmichael
Deportation
Re “Yuba City father detained for deportation during regular ICE check-in” (sacbee.com, Aug. 9): There will be responses to this story asserting that lawbreaking must be punished. Assuming for the sake of argument that immigration violations should be looked at through a criminal-law prism, the law does not require the maximum penalty for relatively benign conduct. Undocumented immigrants with long-term peaceful contact with the community don't always need to be handed the max.
Jeff Ball, Antelope
UC Davis
Re “Why more Medi-Cal patients ended up at the ER after UC Davis cut their primary care” (sacbee.com, Aug. 8): The article describes UC Davis Medical Center’s refusal to accept Medi-Cal patients because of inadequate reimbursement. I am disgusted. As a public institution supported by tax dollars, UCD shows poor management by relegating patients to expensive emergency-room care rather than providing preventive care.
Catherine J. Anthony, Davis
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This story was originally published August 10, 2017 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Telecommunications companies seek to remove copper-wired landlines."