California forum letters: Bee readers take on gas tax, daylight saving time, Placer story

Selfish response

“Placer County was ground zero for COVID culture wars. How did its approach work out?” (sacbee.com, March 13)

Roseville restaurateur Matthew Oliver is proud of the fact that he — and apparently Placer County itself — ignored state rules based on public health during the pandemic and kept his business open. He valued his business over the welfare of the general public. Perhaps he could have shared his business plan at the local intensive care unit with those who also decided to ignore recommendations to get vaccinated, wear masks and avoid crowded venues. This pandemic would have ended much sooner, and restaurants would have opened sooner, if we had not politicized the response and had listened to scientists — not politicians and business interests.

Raymond Jessen

Applegate

Proper credit

“Placer County was ground zero for COVID culture wars. How did its approach work out?” (sacbee.com, March 13)

Placer County did better than average in the state not because of anything our elected officials did but in spite of them and their bad decision-making. Placer leaders got rid of Dr. Amy Sisson as health officer despite her qualifications; wasted thousands of dollars on a herd immunity study in the first months of the pandemic; and allowed public meeting performances denying COVID by bad actors like former supervisor Kirk Uhler. Placer County did better because there were more intelligent people willing to get vaccinated, wear masks and stay away from COVID-spreading activities.

Kris Johnson

Granite Bay

In defense of DST

“Clocks are about to spring forward. Why does California still use daylight saving time?” (sacbee.com, March 11)

It’s that time of year again: people whining, doctors warning and even preachers bemoaning the arrival of daylight saving time. Our minds and bodies simply can’t adjust, they say. But if you go from the West Coast to Chicago on a business trip, you lose two hours. Yet you manage. Daylight saving is a fabulous invention. Admittedly, it’s applied at the wrong time of the year. Winter is when we need daylight saving. People with seasonal affective disorder, who become gloomy with winter’s short days, would be helped by having the onset of darkness delayed. The inconvenience of changing the clock twice a year would be overcome by establishing year-round daylight saving.

Jillian Stanley

Sacramento

Keep DST

“Clocks are about to spring forward. Why does California still use daylight saving time?” (sacbee.com, March 11)

About three-quarters of Americans recently said they would prefer not switching back and forth between standard and daylight saving time. Experts have lamented that changing the clocks has wide-ranging negative consequences, from sleep disruptions to a temporary uptick in traffic accidents. Eighteen states have already moved to adopt daylight saving year-round but cannot do so without congressional approval. Now the Senate has moved to do away with the semiannual clock change. But 48 years ago, the U.S. tried the same thing — and public opinion of the change quickly deteriorated, leading lawmakers to rapidly reverse course. The U.S. is set up for a similar rude awakening if it makes daylight saving time permanent.

Gary Sodervick

North Highlands

Halt gas tax

“California drivers won’t see a gas tax holiday any time soon after GOP move fails,” (sacbee.com, March 14)

Recently, Congressman Josh Harder wrote letters to President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom asking them to put a moratorium on California’s gas tax. He pointed out that the federal money allocated to California, along with its existing surplus, would more than cover the lost tax revenue. We pay the highest gas prices and taxes in the nation. Food and retail goods are transported by trucks using diesel. Diesel is now one dollar per gallon higher than unleaded fuel. That will continue to drive up food and retail goods prices. Why is it so hard for the president, Congress, our governor and Legislature to pass a moratorium on or a vacation from our gas taxes?

Jan F. Lynch

Elverta

Senior villages

“Seniors’ want to age in place, but Village Model remains a boutique option,” (sacbee.com, March 11)

As the executive director of Village Movement California, I am thrilled that the village model is included in the governor’s Master Plan for Aging as a strategy for social connection and meaningful volunteer opportunities. Village Movement California is working with various community to establish diverse, inclusive and equitable village communities. This month, we submitted a budget request to the Legislature to support our growth plans. The lack of affordable senior housing options and the caregiver crisis mean older adults will be aging in their homes. Villages are key to maintaining their health and wellness.

Charlotte Dickson

Berkeley

Aguilar’s failures

“What if a union is too powerful? Meet the one dominating high-poverty Sacramento schools,” (sacbee.com, March 16)

Marcos Bretón fails to mention that the Sacramento City Teachers Association and Service Employees International Union both authorized a strike, each with over 95% approval. Both unions passed a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Jorge Aguilar. Current issues include: Cutting pay while implementing large health insurance contributions, a five-year pay freeze, major changes to schedules and much more. Bretón also left out Aguilar’s enormous pay raise and benefit package — a sum total that exceeds what Gov. Gavin Newsom earns — which the superintendent accepted right before the draconian cuts. The community deserves the whole picture.

Cynthia Gargovich

Sacramento