California forum letters: Bee readers take on PG&E, Capitol Annex Project, police pensions
Bulldozing public opinion
“How Sacramento became the home of California’s most over-memorialized office building,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 9)
Those of us who oppose the Capitol Annex Project do not oppose it because it will destroy a unique mid-century modern historic building, but because rehabilitation is completely feasible, cheaper and better for the environment. Destroying over 60 trees, attempting to relocate over 100 historic and ancient trees, and blindly wasting more than $1.3 billion of taxpayers’ money is not good government. The building could be made more functional and brought up to code, but that was never considered. Committee Chair Ken Cooley proposed glass palace is a travesty. The California Legislature is side-stepping the law and bulldozing the public. It’s for these reasons we mourn.
Luree Stetson
Sacramento
Enforce traffic laws
“Antelope man identified by CHP as DUI suspect in Sierra crash that killed four people,” (sacbee.com, Nov. 29)
Almost every day, there is a report of a bad crash on Interstate 80, often with fatalities. This is because there is no enforcement by the California Highway Patrol. People routinely drive 20 miles over the posted speed limit, weave in and out of traffic, cut people off and drive under the influence because they know there’s little to no chance of ever being stopped or ticketed. Driving I-80 daily, the only time I ever see any CHP presence is after an accident has already occurred. If traffic laws were actually enforced, many lives could be saved.
Bonnie Peterson
Citrus Heights
PG&E’s negligence
“PG&E’s new CEO wants another chance. If they get it, California will get burned again,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 10)
Enough chances for PG&E. With all due respect to their new CEO and their new “LEAN operating system,” Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s continued negligence and pursuit of profits over maintenance don’t deserve another chance. It needs to be broken up into small municipal utility districts. Citizens should be able to vote for our district’s directors, participate at public meetings and hold the directors accountable at the ballot box. Public utilities should not be profit making machines.
Dawn Wolfson
Cameron Park
CA’s monopoly
“California moves to cut homeowner subsidies for rooftop solar. Here’s who will lose out,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 14)
I have read articles about how PG&E wants to pay 50% less for excess electricity generated by rooftop solar panels and then expect the same customer to pay 100% to get back the excess they generated. I have not read or heard of any discussion about the perfect monopoly that the state and utilities have set up for solar generation in California. According to California law, all new homes must have solar panels on their home and must be connected to the energy grid. The owner has no choice. In the area where you bought your new home, you have only one electric utility to choose from. There is no competition. This requires you to pay their rate, their grid fee and their connection fee, which all increase the cost of the house. This is the perfect monopoly and partnership between the state and the utilities. Al Capone would be proud.
Roger Bailey
El Dorado Hills
Dealing with PG&E
“California moves to cut homeowner subsidies for rooftop solar. Here’s who will lose out,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 14)
The story on further cuts in homeowner reimbursement for surplus solar energy grossly misstates the amount that PG&E pays its customers. We just had our annual true-up, and PG&E paid us 2.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, not 20 cents as stated twice in the article. Never has the utility promised us that much. The real story is how PG&E tries to make itself look good in terms of renewable energy while working against small producers. It refused initially to allow us to maximize our roof’s solar capacity and then took seven months to cap our gas line when we asked to end our use of its fossil fuels.
Stephen Wheeler
Davis
Criminal justice
“Stories about minor criminal offenses to be reviewed under The Bee’s ‘Clean Slate’ program,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 8)
Clean slate programs can borrow a script from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which allows doctors and scholars access to statistical data but shields privileged identifying information. The Sacramento County Bar Association and Legal Services of Northern California are excellent resources for people needing to expunge or seal records of arrests or certain prior convictions. For individuals unable to pay fees and costs, the Sacramento Public Defender’s Office is available to clear up criminal records without any charge. With the exceptions of saints and sociopaths, men and women most times do good but sometimes don’t. The Bee’s clean slate project recognizes that minor offenses and old stories should not mark a person for life and will help vindicate that. Where appropriate, people should be given an opportunity to integrate back into society without the bane of a scarlet letter.
Leonard Karl Tauman
Auburn
Pension problems
“Sacramento names first woman to lead police department. Who is new Chief Kathy Lester?,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 12)
While I applaud Sacramento’s hiring of its first female police chief, it’s sad that she could work less than three years in that position before retiring at a much higher pension. Generous retirement benefits make it fiscal folly for leaders like Ms. Lester to continue working after 30 years. Unions pressured the city to grant their members stratospheric pension benefits as a way to attract and retain talent. Instead, pensions push veteran officers out in the prime of their life. Sacramento leaders, kowtowing to union pressure, created the police shortage we face today.
Marcia L Fritz
Sacramento