California forum letters: Bee readers take on Folsom development, state water supply
Act now
“California voters OK’d billions for water projects. Where are the new dams, reservoirs?,” (sacbee.com, July 21)
Whether it’s finally building Sites Reservoir or tackling smaller storage projects, we need to do it all. State-funded efforts, as well as the federal infrastructure bill now before the Senate, would help solve water shortages, especially during droughts. The bipartisan Energy Infrastructure Act provides critical funding to build additional storage that will help us adjust to climate change, repair crumbling dams and canals, fix rural water supplies, advance wildfire protection and fund green infrastructure projects like recycling, conservation and ecosystem improvements. This year’s drought is painful for all Californians. We can alleviate future impacts if we act now.
Mike Wade
Executive Director, California Farm Water Coalition
Sacramento
Counterargument
“California voters OK’d billions for water projects. Where are the new dams, reservoirs?,” (sacbee.com, July 21)
According to UC Davis watershed expert Jay Lund: “The state has 1,500 reservoirs and most of the prime locations already have a dam on them. The remaining dam sites are going to be more expensive and give you less water than the 1,500 dam sites that already exist.” The top candidate, Sites Reservoir, will extract Sacramento River water to store for later release. Doing this can have serious environmental consequences for the Sacramento River and Delta ecosystems, which have already been impaired by excessive water diversions. High flow periods are needed to flood shallow bays for environmental food production, move excess sediment downstream and remove pollution.
Arthur C. Knutson, Jr.
Sacramento
New solution
“California voters OK’d billions for water projects. Where are the new dams, reservoirs?,” (sacbee.com, July 21)
Don’t look to dams to solve water shortages, ever. The crucial statement was buried deep in the article: “...most of the prime locations already have a dam on them. The remaining dam sites are going to be more expensive and give you less water.” We need to look elsewhere.
Louise Mehler
Sacramento
PG&E’s crimes
“PG&E vows to bury 10,000 miles of California power lines, as the Dixie Fire explodes,” (sacbee.com, July 21)
This will raise PG&E electric rates and cost California billions while generating another nice return for shareholders. It’s time to recognize PG&E for what it is: A convicted felon pleading for another chance after burning more communities. It’s time for the governor to break up this behemoth and find a more responsible approach. Public power utilities like SMUD and Roseville Electric contribute to communities.
Michael Bloom
Auburn
Folsom’s follies
“Folsom keeps growing. But will the city have enough water to meet its grand ambitions?,” (sacbee.com, July 18)
Bee reporters shredded the city of Folsom, and we deserve it. There are many residents questioning why our “intelligent” mayors and city council members, of past and present, decided that building 11,000 new homes south of 50 was a good idea. There was dissent at city council meetings when this idea was first opened up, but conservative politics prevailed.
Mary McFarland
Folsom
Condemnation
“Trump supporters linked to plot on California Democratic HQ had guns, zip ties, steroids,” (sacbee.com, July 16)
The Republican Party must officially condemn the planned attack on the Democratic headquarters. If they do not, they will be complicit. They cannot let their supporters believe that these terrorists are “patriots” and continue the denial of Trump-inspired insurrectionists that began on Jan. 6. This devastating episode is reminiscent of Kristallnacht attacks in Nazi Germany.
Kathryn Lewis
Sacramento
Placer’s missteps
“Why traffic gridlock is about to hit the Sacramento region — and how it can be avoided,” (sacbee.com, July 14)
Placer County approved developments such as Placer Ranch and Sunset Area that promise traffic jams forever. The county has given up all the right of ways for light rail and transit hubs in favor of huge swaths of suburban single-family housing featuring multiple-car garages and wide roadways. Our long incumbent leadership has been serving developers well, ensuring that affordable living in Placer County can never happen. Hundreds of concerned citizens and smart growth experts have testified at public hearings, but suburban sprawl developers win every time. If a federal infrastructure plan is passed, Placer will get very little. In the meantime, county officials are planning for another sales tax measure to widen the roads inside the development zone so that “others can pay.”
Kristine Johnson
Granite Bay
Sac transportation
“Future of Sacramento region transportation is long distance transit, not wider highways,” (sacbee.com, July 14)
As the fastest growing region in California, we must be intentional about our growth patterns and encourage infill development and transit. The transportation sector accounts for more than half of our region’s greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to grow if we don’t focus on active transportation and transit. An integrated and connected transit network will benefit the entire megaregion as we recover from the pandemic. SacRT is finalizing a draft rail network integration plan that calls for bolstering the downtown bus network, for integration and connection with intercity rail service at the Sacramento Valley Station.
Henry Li
General Manager/CEO, Sacramento Regional Transit District