California forum letters: Bee readers take on Sacramento’s reputation, Gloria Romero

Center of the state

“San Francisco is fine, but Sacramento has great food and housing you can actually afford,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 3)

It’s past time to challenge Sacramento’s boring image, largely the fault of unfair comparisons to San Francisco. A major rail and business center early on, Sacramento was never a “cowtown.” A critical gold rush entrepot, the city was never “sleepy.”

Sacramento has always been a destination for good jobs, especially in the building trades, and it survived the decline of the canning and rail industries. The capital city remains arguably the virtual center of the state, the same hub of politics and commerce as it was from its earliest days.

Spencer P. Le Gate

Sacramento

Results of the hype

“San Francisco is fine, but Sacramento has great food and housing you can actually afford,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 3)

Sacramento has grown up over the past few decades, and is now a “player” with fine dining, another housing boom and a subsidized arena. I’m a late 1980s Bay Area transplant. But transplanted real estate agent Ms. Savitri has a very short memory when she sings, “the market has always been stable in this area.” Really? I remember a few grim market downturns in the Sacramento area, and Ms. Savitri was here for at least one of those.

This level of hype has continued for several years. Now we’re crowded, congested and have a persistent housing crisis. Opportunists coming to an area to make some bucks used to be called “carpetbaggers.”

Robert Rystad

Citrus Heights

A teacher’s reality

“Latina Democrat endorsing Larry Elder is wrong about him but right to challenge her party,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 3)

This article comes out the week after the most bungled start to the school year in SCUSD’s history, due to the superintendent’s lack of planning and communication with staff and families.

Marcos Bretón mentions teacher suspensions. I have been teaching for 20 years, and neither my colleagues nor I have ever suspended students. While we do have that right, it is rarely if ever used. Nobody denies there is a desperate need for more training and support, but the district (despite teacher requests) doesn’t provide either adequately.

Almost every site does have yard-duty openings, and I would invite Mr. Bretón to apply. Rather than baseless claims about teachers (who are leaving the profession in droves), he can join in first-hand and authentically aid the district he claims to support.

Erin Duarte

Sacramento

Romero is wrong

“Latina Democrat endorsing Larry Elder is wrong about him but right to challenge her party,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 3)

Bretón states that Gloria Romero is wrong about Elder and for endorsing him, however, he somehow quizzically concludes that Romero’s reason for supporting Elder is “completely right.” Because Romero, in Bretón’s vieGw, challenges the California Teachers Association and is an advocate of charter schools. This is not, in my opinion, a “right” reason to try to install Larry Elder as governor of California. Romero stated that she looked at Elder’s record and thought he was the best one for the job. What record? Romero appears to be frighteningly content with throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Donald Manning

Sacramento

Cal Expo must do better

“Asian-inspired night market with 150-plus vendors pops up at Cal Expo this weekend,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 5)

Cal Expo’s “FoodieLand Night Market” event is more aptly labeled the “Superspreader Night Market,” considering the abject failure of Cal Expo to responsibly create and implement public health conditions.

Despite Cal Expo’s promotion of the event lauding their safety guidelines and boasting that it’s “...a perfect outdoor food event for everyone,” those of us that mistakenly brought our under 12 year-old children — based in part on the assertion that “FoodieLand is implementing staggered entry time to reduce overcrowding…” — could not, in good conscience, remain without risking transmission of the virus. The massive hordes at the event meant lengthy lines with mostly unmasked people standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The majority of attendees were unmasked, and there was nobody visibly enforcing any type of safety protocols. The Cal Expo Board and staff must do better.

Lawrence Galizio

Sacramento

Wear your mask

“The man who started the movement to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has COVID-19,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 7)

The belief that Orrin Heatlie holds is valid — the situation at hand regarding COVID-19 and the variant need to be better addressed. The unemployment benefits that have ended were for the majority of those who had their economic workspace affected by the virus. For that to end means that we, as a state, should be implementing public safety measures.Texas has tried to ease the mask mandates with mixed results. We should not strive for mixed results. The choice to get vaccinated should remain, but the optional wearing of masks should not exist. Masks should be worn in public places to ensure safety.

Dominic Williams

Sacramento

Newsom trying his best

“The man who started the movement to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has COVID-19,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 7)

Don’t blame Gov. Gavin Newsom for the pandemic. He is doing his best to keep us safe. No other governor in the history of California has ever had to deal with COVID-19. Anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers and Republicans are the problem. Recalling our governor and electing an unqualified person, such as Larry Elder, will take us backwards and only make the pandemic worse. Vote “no” on the recall and keep California blue.

Laurie Comstock

Sacramento