California Forum letters: Readers take on protest at the mayor’s house, COVID vaccine
Misguided criticism
“Sacramento mayor condemns protesters who vandalized his Pocket neighborhood home” (sacbee.com, Feb. 8)
I cannot think of a time I have witnessed a more misguided criticism of an elected official than that which has been directed at Mayor Steinberg for his work on homelessness.
I live in the county and would be thrilled to have his leadership on the issue out here in the ‘burbs where work to address the needs of the homeless is sorely lacking and critically needed (this is directed at you, Supervisor Sue Frost). But my foremost concern today is the safety of the mayor, his family and his home.
The Bee has reported 40-50 protesters and 80 officers present at the mayor’s home, but no arrests! I cannot even begin to understand why the thugs were not arrested immediately. Reportedly, efforts are being made to identify the protestors and make arrests. What deterrence is this for this abhorrent behavior?
A very sad state of affairs all the way around.
Kellie Smith,
Gold River
Thank you
“‘How good it feels.’ Bus driver in deadly casino-bound crash leaves California prison” (sacbee.com, Jan. 5)
Thank you to the Sacramento Bee journalists who contributed to the series of stories regarding Quinton Watts. This is an excellent example of why journalism is so important in our society. Who else but tireless journalists have the determination to serve as the public watchdog by attending and reporting on local board meetings, council meetings and hearings and so much more? Thank you for all you do. And thank you to Edric Cane, Quinton’s advocate, who showed how one person can make a difference.
Sharon Ruffner,
Carmichael
Clearcutting danger
“PG&E unveils $3 billion California wildfire plan, warns of ‘very extreme’ season ahead” sacbee.com, Feb. 5)
PG&E is absolutely right to make its power equipment more fire-resilient. But PG&E is absolutely wrong to cut down more trees. This reckless decision is a slippery slope to clearcutting, the logging practice where most of the trees in an area are cut down, resulting in forests that are much more likely to catch fire.
Clearcutting increases wildfire danger, and should therefore be avoided as much as possible. To that end, PG&E should focus its efforts on upgrading its antiquated equipment and installing covered conductors. Protect the beautiful forests, and concentrate on the hazardous power equipment instead.
Caroline Harris,
Menlo Park
Pathetic
“COVID vaccine updates: California hits 4 million doses given, Sacramento rate below average” (sacbee.com, Feb. 5)
Sutter Health is vaccinating people 65 and older. My 70-year-old family member breezed through UC Davis’ vaccination clinic 10 days ago. But my 99-year-old father can’t get a vaccine from Kaiser Permanente. After a month of no updates and no useful replies to his emails, today Kaiser finally said it will grant him a place in line ... in three weeks!
This is the health system that the Clinton and Obama administrations once pointed to as an example of well-managed health care. The fact is, this pandemic has shown Kaiser to be disorganized and unprepared. So while he waits, I take my dad to the nearby Safeway pharmacy at the end of each day hoping there is a leftover dose that the younger 65, 75, 85 and 95-year-olds didn’t show up for. Pathetic.
Jeff Michael,
Pasadena
Tax volatility
“COVID-19 pandemic provides a great opportunity for California to reform tax system” (sacbee.com, Feb. 5)
Steve Westly’s article about tax revenue volatility mentions last year’s budget cuts and points to the reliance on income taxes on the wealthy as the source of the problem. Westly proposes relatively regressive changes that help but do not solve the problem — sin taxes, service taxes and pollution taxes. I’d add another concept.
We can smooth out the revenues the state receives from volatile annual higher-end incomes by taxing income based on a five-year average of higher bracket and non-wage earnings. Tax filing would be unchanged for the vast majority of taxpayers in the lower income brackets and with minimal non-wage income, while those at the top would pay more during hard times and pay less during good times.
This isn’t a tax increase or decrease, it’s revenue neutral, just removing the extreme fluctuation in revenue that causes dire spending cuts hurting the most vulnerable during trying times.
Timothy Tutt,
Davis
Vaccine for all
“Placer County teachers eligible to receive COVID vaccine. But when will they receive shots?” (sacbee.com, Feb. 3)
The article speaks about the challenges of getting the vaccine into the arms of our teachers so everyone feels and is safe to reopen our school campuses. Amador County Unified School District successfully reopened its schools on Nov. 16, 2020 and our students and staff are doing better and better — academically, socially and emotionally — with each day that passes.
On Jan. 20, ACUSD began offering the vaccine at no cost to all of its employees who want it. The second dose for these 300+ employees will be completed by the end of February.
Special thanks to Amador County Public Health Officer Dr. Rita Kerr, her team and ACUSD Assistant Superintendent Sean Snider who worked hard to make this possible. I’m grateful for the strong teamwork among our school leaders, labor partners, teachers, staff and families who’ve kept the focus on our students during this challenging time.
Amy L. Slavensky, Ph.D., Amador County Unified School District Superintendent of Schools,
Jackson