Forum Letters: Impeach Trump, again and Steinberg’s lost credibility
Breton needs to apologize
“Sacramento city leaders, listen and pay up: That police money is owed to those who need it” (sacbee.com, June 26):
On June 26, Marcos Breton wrote, as part of his article on the tragic death and fallout of the George Floyd killing: “Where is the protest at (Angelique) Ashby’s house?” Nice dog whistle Marcos. In the early morning hours of July 1 Ashby’s house, along with fellow council member Jay Schenirer’s house, were the target of a vandalism attack, igniting fireworks and splashing red paint on both properties. Breton should either issue an apology in his next column or be immediately terminated. If Grant Napear can be fired for his ill-advised usage of a “dog whistle” term in a tweet, then surely inciting - in a major newspaper - a criminal act against city officials, whether intentional or not, also rises to a fire-able, if not a misdemeanor, offense. At least, Marcos, you can sleep knowing you have created two sleepless households of public servants and their families. Goodnight.
John Nicholson,
Sacramento
Impeach Trump, again
“Trump denies briefing on reported bounties against US troops” (sacbee.com, June 28):
The Commander-in-Chief has no more important obligation than to see to the safety of our military personnel. Donald Trump has failed miserably in this regard by ignoring the allegations concerning Russian bounties. He deserves to be impeached again, and convicted, even if there is an election soon, because he has disgraced himself and does not deserve the honor of being allowed to run for re-election. Is he the best person the once-honorable Republican party can offer the country? The leaders of the party should be ashamed.
Eugene Wytrykus,
Lincoln
Organic farms needed
“‘Everything is about humanity.’ Chico-area farm takes new approach to raising pigs” (sacbee.com, June 29):
Thank you to Leslie Hicks’ article about sustainably raised pigs on Mr. Thieriot’s farm in Chico. We need more small, organic, or sustainably farmed businesses in the area. I hope this is making a comeback. The pollution from factory farms devastates the environment as well as raising stressed, medicated and miserable animals. Please read “And The Waters Turned to Blood” by Rodney Barker about hog farms in North Carolina, it’s an eye opener.
Ann Rothschild,
Sacramento
Steinberg’s lost credibility
“Mayor Steinberg: Sacramento must eradicate racial and gender bias from budget process” (sacbee.com, June 30):
Left out of the mayor’s STEAM article referring to four parks in “wealthier” neighborhoods was the nine other parks in Sacramento, all of which will be hosting programs serving the goals of the Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment department, and most of which are in the neighborhoods the mayor considers “underserved.” Of the four parks, he acknowledges, “There are undoubtedly a dozen logistical and practical reasons why only these pristine parks and neighborhoods were chosen to host its summer programs.” But the mayor fails to acknowledge them, and instead recommends a new layer of bureaucracy, a required racial and gender impact “analysis” for the City Council to consider, even after review by city staff who are all “excellent public servants who care about all our communities.” Here’s what is happening: after over promising to far too many interest groups, the mayor is scrambling to find a way to regain credibility.
Bill Motmans,
Sacramento
Beware of non-mask wearers
“What Gavin Newsom is doing to enforce his mask order without mandatory fines” (sacbee.com, July 2):
It appears that a segment of our community sees going without a mask as support for Trump or as evidence of manliness or even, ridiculously, as an expression of “freedom.” Given that wearing masks will reduce the wearer’s chance of infecting others nearby, I think the true picture of a non-mask wearer is that of a selfish person who cares nothing for the rest of us. Watch for them when you are outside. And stay away!
Rick Thalhammer,
Sacramento
Off to Orlando, not war
“‘I cried like a little baby’: Kings parting with wives, children to enter NBA bubble” (sacbee.com, July 4):
I sympathize with the Kings players having to leave their families, and being sequestered at “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” some of them for possibly longer than three months. But let’s put this in perspective. Every day, young men - and women - are leaving families in order to serve their country in the military, for much longer than three months, in places that could hardly be called “Magical.”
So man-up, Kings. You chose to play a game to earn your living. These other young people are choosing a much more important, much more potentially dangerous “game,” for far less compensation.
Velma Parsons,
Citrus Heights
One-sided cover story
“Protesters tear down statue of Spanish missionary and saint Junipero Serra in Capitol Park” (sacbee.com, July 5):
Your front-page coverage of the removal of the statue of Junipero Serra by protesters was frustratingly one-sided. If the first paragraph and photo captions mentioned Serra’s terrible treatment of indigenous peoples, readers could have immediately put the protesters’ actions in context. By hiding that context on the second page the Bee put a much more negative spin on the protesters’ behavior. The controversy over canonization of Serra in 2015 has reinforced the indigenous struggles with their colonization by white Europeans, yet your article barely gives these struggles a mention. I find this method of reporting another whitewash of the way we treat our indigenous people. I expect a more balanced article from The Sacramento Bee.
Jacqueline DeLu,
Sacramento