California forum letters: Bee readers take on Joan Didion’s passing, Placer’s inaction
Thanks to Didion
“How the inimitable California-bred writer Joan Didion gave Sacramento an identity again,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 24)
My humble connection to fame is that, like Joan Didion, I was born at Mercy General — twice, as my ticker stopped after a cardio procedure there a few years back. I’m a born-again Sacramentan.
That Didion pioneered a writing style was appropriate to her actual pioneer legacy. Significant as well were her brave attempts to explain California. She credited the circumstances of one’s early years for one’s eventual formation. Sacramento should be measured not by how it compares to more famous cities but by how it shaped and influenced lives. Thank Didion for that.
Spencer P. Le Gate
Sacramento
Sacramento legend
“How the inimitable California-bred writer Joan Didion gave Sacramento an identity again,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 24)
Joan Didion was a legend. She wrote her mind and heart out, and we all benefited. As a journalist, writer, woman and Sacramento native, she was a tremendous influence on me in every respect. May she rest in peace, and may her writings keep us alive and aware.
Paul Bacon
Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Blinding lights
“How ultra-bright headlights cause major headaches — and major risks — on California roads,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 23)
Ultra-bright headlights are truly blinding, especially to older people. Until I read this article, I thought my cataract replacements were failing. There are so many ultra-bright lights that I hadn’t noticed I could still see through the glare of the old-style lights.
Replacing ultra-bright lights would be cheaper than forgiving college loans and probably save more lives.
Ron W. Loutzenhiser
Galt
Placer’s inaction
“Placer County’s leaders didn’t take delta seriously. Omicron threatens to take more lives,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 27)
As a Placer County resident for 25 years, I applaud their “do-nothing” strategy. I respect that you have the right to your opinion, but your facts are incorrect. We don’t pay our leaders to protect our health; we pay them to protect us against government overreach. By adopting a hands-off approach, they are doing their jobs. They deserve your applause, not your scorn.
Kathleen Sherman
Roseville
Greed
“If office vacancies persist, Sacramento should adapt and turn empty buildings into housing,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 26)
Sacramento has thousands of suitable buildings for the homeless, but they are being kept vacant for tax purposes. Take Sleep Train Arena: If we had a use-it-or-lose-it real estate tax (such as one that doubles each year for vacant buildings), Vivek Ranadivé would be begging the city to take it off his hands. Five doublings of taxes on the old arena would be greater than the value of his new one.
Ranadivé has every reason to keep Sleep Train Arena off the market now, but under such a tax policy, he would have sold it five years ago. Homelessness is caused by rich people’s greed, not laziness, drugs or lifestyle choices.
William Fuhs
Acampo
Monopoly run amok
“California moves to cut homeowner subsidies for rooftop solar. Here’s who will lose out,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 14)
The California Public Utilities Commission’s mandate says it’s the gatekeeper between electric power consumers and the utility monopolies. It exists to prevent price-gouging by utilities that want to stifle competition to make bigger profits.
Economists will tell you healthy competition keeps goods affordable. Utilities want a monopoly on electricity generation to gouge consumers. Rooftop solar is competition against monopolies. The CPUC’s preliminary proposal for net metering changes has handed the keys to the power grid to the utilities. It’s game over for rooftop solar.
The regulator is letting the utilities hide behind the façade of helping out low-income ratepayers and allowing them to charge whatever they want. No one is going to stop the utilities now. They just destroyed their competition forever. They also destroyed a weapon against runaway climate change.
Rene Wise
Fremont
Disinformation
“California is wasting its best chance at a clean energy future by shunning nuclear power,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 22)
The author argues that nuclear power is “safe, clean and efficient.” Claims of cleanliness and efficiency are questionable, but to say it’s safe is plain wrong. This piece ignores the problem of nuclear waste almost completely. Spent fuel rods and other waste from reactors will be radioactive for 10,000 years or more. Where do we put it then?
A balanced argument would remind us that we cannot, given climate change, predict demographics for any region even 50 years ahead; that we can’t predict an earthquake anywhere two hours in advance, let alone 10,000 years; that it isn’t possible to send all nuclear waste into space; that this kind of waste, like other hazardous waste, would surely end up stored near communities of color because they lack the political clout of energy companies.
An argument this unbalanced amounts to disinformation.
David Barrett
Sacramento
Keep direct liquor shipments
“More Assembly departures + Lawmakers want DTC shipping extension + Kalra joins EnviroVoters board,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 14)
Despite a last-minute, 90-day extension, all distilleries in California will soon be stripped of their ability to ship products directly to consumers — even though my winery will continue to be able to enjoy this privilege. In fact, wineries have been able to ship wine directly to consumers for more than three decades in California. Distilleries were only given this opportunity as part of a temporary economic relief measure during the pandemic.
For almost two years, we showed we could responsibly ship products to adult consumers — a move that helped save small businesses, protect and create jobs, and provide convenience to consumers.
Taking away this critical revenue stream is a devastating blow to our business and the consumers who have come to expect it. We cannot afford the removal of direct shipping and need this measure to be made permanent so California distilleries can grow and thrive.
Alex Villicana
Paso Robles