Forum letters: Being a safe, reliable service at a reasonable cost is the purpose of a utility company

Let PG&E fail

“PG&E may shut down power in several counties due to fire risk” (The Sacramento Bee, section 3A, Oct. 8): Electrical service is an essential service. Being a safe, reliable service at a reasonable cost is the purpose of a utility company. PG&E’s planned outages is the company’s attempt to cover up the fact it has not maintained their system in a manner that can safely operate during a high wind event. In times of weather events, it’s important to all customers to maintain service. Weather is not a reason to turn off service. PG&E’s record is outrageous: extremely high rates for service, high salaries, influencing politicians and regulatory agencies, and fighting any attempt to leave for an alternative provider. PG&E is a failure and should be allowed to fail. Allow this company to be broken up and sold off to local agencies that care about their customers. There are many other municipal utilities in California. Sacramento and Roseville are local examples. Our lives would be better without PG&E.

Trump violated his oath

“Clinton and Russia didn’t take down Trump, Democrats try Ukraine and impeachment” (The Sacramento Bee, section 9A, Oct. 3): The impeachment process is about President Donald Trump’s violation of his oath to protect and defend the Constitution. It’s not about Democrats’ inability to accept the voters verdict of the 2016 election and just move on. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is fulfilling her oath. It’s that simple. This president has demonstrated his contempt for the “rule of law,” and now he has finally gotten caught. Let the impeachment inquiry continue to show all American’s that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Vaccines save lives

“Anti-vaccine protester hurled blood in menstrual cup at California lawmakers, test confirms” (sacbee.com, Oct. 2): It’s hard to believe that a woman threw blood on our elected officials because she doesn’t want to have to vaccinate. As for me, I lost a six-month pregnancy to German Measles, also known as rubella, before a vaccination was available. How I wish there had been one. I also was seriously ill and hallucinating when I got measles. As for mumps, I contracted that on winter break in my first year of teaching, and I was sick for two weeks. These anti-vaccination people are just plain nuts. Vaccines save lives, and would have saved my unborn baby. Their refusal to vaccinate endangers babies who can’t be vaccinated until they are 1 year old, as well as kids with diseases like cancer. Remember polio? Smallpox? Like seat belts and bike helmets, vaccinations save lives.

Rest in peace

“Ginger Baker, Cream’s volatile drummer, dies at 80” (sacbee.com, Oct. 6): Rest in peace Ginger Baker. Like John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, Cream was driven by the drumming of Baker. Not many bands had the level of virtuosity at each instrument that Cream did. He will be forever known as one of the most innovative drummers in rock music.

You can’t sexually discriminate

“Supreme Court to decide whether ‘sex’ includes sexual orientation” (The Sacramento Bee, section 7A, Oct. 7): Constitutional discrimination? Seriously? We the people can create a document (the Constitution) that allows any discrimination in job selection, service to or educational access that we want? The argument before the U.S. Supreme Court is all wrong. Saying that discrimination due to sexual orientation is OK because certain wording was not specifically put down on paper is ludicrous. That is like saying some forms of stealing are OK because we did not put them all down on paper as wrong. It is amazing how twisted those whose religious beliefs – in reality, that are politically based – can spin, for their own political gain, any justification for discrimination in our Constitution.

Sell drugs, not bribes

“Drug companies conspire to keep prices high. Will Newsom disrupt ‘pay for delay’?” (sacbee.com, Oct. 4): Drug firms should not be allowed “restraint of trade” in a free market. Competition must be free to work. We want drug firms to make money when they develop new medications and treatments, not when they prevent their sale and distribution. Free markets are for everyone. Drug companies must produce medicine, not bribes.

Stop funding roads, highways

“Californians not giving up trucks, SUVs – setting state up for failure on climate goals” (sacbee.com, Oct. 8): California is not on track to meet its ambitious climate goals. But the reason isn’t because “Californians just aren’t ready to give up their trucks and SUVs.” The reality is that California continues to pour the majority of its state transportation funds into roads and highways, forcing many Californians to drive to where they need to go. Instead of investing state transportation funds in infrastructure like safe walking and bicycling routes, or high quality bus and rail lines, or providing state funding for the planning and building of affordable homes near well-paying jobs and schools, California continues to spend billions of tax dollars on projects that keep Californians in their cars, trucks and SUVs, such as unsafe, unsustainable, traffic-causing road and highway projects.