California Forum letters: Bee readers weigh in on PG&E, housing crisis
A fight to get vaccinated
“Good and bad COVID news: California widens vaccine eligibility as ‘4th wave’ worries mount” (sacbee.com, March 31)
Let the 2021 Middle-Aged Californian Hunger Games begin! Tributes aged 50-65 will be fighting tooth and claw to obtain COVID vaccines between April 1 and April 15 before the younger tributes descend on the arenas by the thousands. Stay alert and cunning, tributes — your county may put dangerous roadblocks in your path, such as canceling vaccinations for an anime convention. There will also be young and healthy stealth bombers trying to sneak into the arenas with tall tales. You’ll need your wits about you at all times. May the odds be ever in your favor!
Janet Thew
Loomis
Shame on PG&E
“Thinking of getting solar panels? California utilities want to slash ‘generous’ subsidies” (sacbee.com, March 30)
It’s really gross that PG&E is lobbying to prevent people from putting solar panels on their rooftops in California. With wildfire season on the horizon, people should be able to get more solar and batteries to protect their homes from blackouts. If we have enough solar and batteries we can start building microgrids that run on clean energy, not the diesel-powered ones that PG&E is planning to build. They are proposing a new $70-$100 fixed monthly fee on new solar customers. This is the highest fixed fee in America, and would make solar inaccessible to huge numbers of Californians, particularly the working class. We cannot allow these utilities to stifle our local economies and prevent people from benefiting from reliable, affordable clean energy. Shame on PG&E.
Lee Miller
Sacramento
Reaching clean energy goals
“Thinking of getting solar panels? California utilities want to slash ‘generous’ subsidies” (sacbee.com, March 30)
Our organization strongly supports more clean energy and more solar systems on homes. But state-mandated incentives/credits for people to install solar are excessive and leading to increased utility bills for those without solar panels, including low-income Californians. Not surprisingly, the big corporations that build and install the solar panels don’t want any changes to the program because they benefit from the generous incentives. But consumer groups, senior groups like AARP, community groups, social justice, environmental, business and taxpayer groups have called for changes to the incentive structure that will reduce the cost shift to make the system more fair for all utility customers while still offering enough incentives to ensure that demand for rooftop solar continues to help California reach its clean energy goals.
Deborah Howard, California Senior Advocates League
Sacramento
Psychiatric outrage
“No sunlight. No human contact. Why Sacramento still uses extreme isolation in jail” (sacbee.com, March 31)
Nowhere in this article is there to be found the outspoken and righteous indignation of the psychiatric community to the injustices imposed upon the incarcerated mentally ill in our jails. In 1848 this very concern incensed one Isaac Ray, MD — one of the 13 original founders of the professional organization we know today as the American Psychiatric Association. Ray, along with reformers such as Dorothea Dix, adamantly championed the special needs of the mentally ill in and out of the penal system. In their day, and probably today, the better prescription might reside in a pattern of professional involvement, not yet more political jostling and building plans.
Kathryn Karrer
Sacramento
California’s housing crisis
“California took 35,000 homeless people off the street for 1 year. Did the program work?” (sacbee.com, April 2)
Project Homekey was a clear success in protecting vulnerable populations from COVID-19. But its long term success depends on the ability of the program to move people back into stable housing. Here, the results are far less rosy. The most recent Sacramento County COVID-19 Homeless Response progress report indicates that only 68 households have been moved into permanent placements — 12% of eligible households. The majority of people who experience homelessness find a way to resolve their homelessness whether they receive direct programmatic help or not. These very low numbers raise the possibility that Project RoomKey is having almost no impact on the key goal of finding permanent housing for people. California needs to come to grips with its housing crisis and double down on developing innovative ways to help people regain housing.
Chris Weare, President, Center for Homeless Inquiries
Sacramento
Call for independent coroner
“Exclusive: California sheriff overruled health official, linked man’s death to vaccine” (sacbee.com, March 30)
It is time to get California sheriffs out of the role of coroner. Pathologists should make decisions or decline to decide solely on their best professional judgement. Sheriffs frequently desire to change opinions about officer-involved shootings, deaths in jails, crashes of law enforcement vehicles and myriad other situations. Pathologists are very cautious professionals and, in many instances, will not want to say definitely what caused or did not cause a death. Placer County is finishing a gleaming new facility for its pathologists. This is a great time to have an independent coroner.
Paul W. Comiskey
Roseville
Ode to libraries
“It’s National Library Week. Here’s how California’s libraries have helped during the pandemic” (sacbee.com, April 7)
Kudos to California libraries for extending a literary lifeline during the pandemic. My branch, McKinley Library, has been especially timely in processing and presenting my many requests for pick-up outside the facility. The staff and the security guard, Sing, have been very helpful.
Alan Miller
Sacramento