California Forum letters: Sacramento Bee readers weigh in on comics, Newsom and COVID
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Restore pay
“Will Gov. Newsom end state worker pay cuts with tax revenue soaring? Here’s what he said” (sacbee.com, March 1)
As a Ph.D. state scientist, I welcome Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to collaborate with unions on restoring state worker’s pay. After the pandemic struck, I was very willing to help out by taking a pay cut. However, suspending previously bargained raises further damaged the morale of state scientists who have been subjected to egregious pay discrepancies for 15 years (in some cases, making 50% less than colleagues doing the same job).
State scientists play vital roles protecting the people, environment, food and drinking water of California from toxic chemicals, environmental disasters and disease, including COVID-19. With the state’s $10 billion surplus, Newsom should ensure that state scientists’ salaries are restored in an equitable manner that complies with state wage laws and policies.
Jimmy Spearow, Ph.D.
Sacramento
New sort of facility
“My grandmother chose a peaceful death. Every terminally ill person deserves the option” (sacbee.com, Feb. 27)
Two cheers for Nathalie Touboul and state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman. By all means, give control of their own destiny to people whose situation is otherwise without hope. But why the cut-off at six months life expectancy, which no one can predict accurately? Why not allow the option to people who may face years of grueling dependency? And why involve physicians, who have no great expertise in the area?
Ideally, I would like to see a new sort of facility serve all people tempted to end their lives. There, they would find both therapeutic and technological resources for achieving a fulfilling existence. But if it became clear that a person had no feasible route to an acceptable quality of life, and continued to want to end their life, they would be provided with a selection of secure mechanisms.
Louise Mehler
Sacramento
Double masked?
“Californians should consider wearing 2 masks when going out in public, Gavin Newsom says” (sacbee.com, March 4)
Except when you are dining with political friends at a posh restaurant, especially if they serve your wine.
Bob Reisig
Rio Linda
Lives saved
“Placer County restaurant coalition to sue Gov. Newsom, state over COVID-19 restrictions” (sacbee.com, March 5)
Career epidemiologists applaud Gov. Newsom’s successful efforts to save the lives of Californians. Our mortality rate is low for a metropolitan state, at 130 per 100,000, compared to 212 per 100,000 in South Dakota.
If California had experienced South Dakota’s death rate, we would have 28,000 additional lives lost. Saving this many people is the equivalent of preventing fifty-six jumbo jets from crashing. If Newsom’s efforts prevented even half these crashes, we would consider his policies worthwhile.
Edward D. Gorham
San Diego
Now is the time
“Tax hikes and electric car fees on the table as Biden maps out infrastructure plan” (sacbee.com, March 5)
Leading economists are in support of carbon pricing especially if most of the funds collected are returned to consumers. Amazingly, the oil industry’s top lobbying group indicated recently that they are willing to support carbon pricing. The recent action by the American Petroleum Institute, one of the fiercest opponents of economy-wide carbon pricing, suggests that oil and gas producers are ready to accept the climate efforts spearheaded by President Biden. Now is an excellent time to take action on a market-based response to the climate crisis.
Rev. Dr. Kenneth W. Moore
Auburn
F Minus
“To Our Readers” (The Sacramento Bee, March 1, A1)
I have subscribed to the Bee forever. This is my first letter to the editor. This is not an earth-shaking issue, but when you revamped your comics pages, you should not have dropped F Minus. It was easily the best comic in the paper. Just very odd and funny. I often sent copies to my kids. Please bring it back.
Kirk Giberson
Sacramento
Puzzled
“To Our Readers” (The Sacramento Bee, March 1, A1)
Why did you remove the celebrity cipher puzzle from the game page? Every morning I sharpen my brain on these puzzles, and now you’ve taken away a really good brain exercise and replaced it with a really stupid one. Please put it back, and “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke!”
Janet Marini
Roseville
Puzzles Purge
“To Our Readers” (The Sacramento Bee, March 1, A1)
Oh The Bee has caused such rage / By messing up its Puzzle Page. / If you had given me a vote, / I would have kept the Cryptoquote.
Catherine Creeggan
Sacramento
Sacramento’s priorities
“Sacramento’s soccer deal is dead for now. Can the downtown Railyards thrive without MLS?” (sacbee.com, March 5)
Billionaire Ron Burkle feigned interest in buying the Kings in 2013. Now, he’s done it again with the Republic soccer team. His retreat leaves us a stadium-sized empty lot in the Railyards and $33 million saved by not subsidizing the billionaire.
Let’s turn that space and those funds into a meaningful statement about Sacramento: A large, well-planned shelter for homeless people on one of few empty lots left. I propose The Bee survey Republic FC ticket holders and ask which they prefer: keeping their team in its present league or seeing a lot more of their neighbors die in the streets.
Sacramento already suffers staggering housing costs as incoming Bay Area refugees bid up prices — yet Barry Broome works to recruit more of them!
Kevin Coyle
Sacramento