California forum letters: Sacramento Bee readers respond to homeless camp clearance, Kings
More security
“6 killed, 12 hurt in Sacramento shooting; police find gun, search for ‘multiple shooters’,” (sacbee.com, April 4)
If Kansas City can establish a gun-free zone in its nightclub district, why can’t Sacramento? I envisage a four- to eight-square-block area cordoned off on weekend evenings with entry checkpoints. Pedestrians and drivers would have to pass through metal detectors at these checkpoints. The cost of extra policing would have to be borne by the businesses that benefit on busy nights from this additional security.
Richard Conrad
Rocklin
Real solutions
“A homeless measure will be on the Sacramento ballot in November. Here’s what it will do,” (sacbee.com, April 7)
Sacramento city leaders have officially given up on solving the homelessness problem. They caved to business owners and wealthy residents who just want the homeless population to disappear.
The measure they advanced to the November ballot would force the creation of more shelters, but shelters don’t end homelessness — only homes do. We need to stop spinning our wheels on shortsighted efforts to get people out of sight and out of mind. We need forward-thinking efforts to build permanent housing for extremely low-income residents that includes supportive services.
Santa Clara County has 3,000 such units in its pipeline thanks to a bond measure voters passed in 2015 that designated $700 million for that purpose, and to a collaboration of city, county, private sector and service provider officials working toward a common goal of housing the area’s most vulnerable. That’s what solving a problem looks like.
Alexis Raymond
Sacramento
Inhumane
“Sacramento clears highly-visible homeless camp on Fair Oaks Boulevard. Was it legal?” (sacbee.com, April 11)
I’m shocked by the heartless actions of the Sacramento city staff who believe it’s acceptable to destroy the modest homes and possessions of our neighbors experiencing homelessness and leave them with nowhere to live. I urge the City Council to condemn this action and focus its energy on getting more affordable apartments built for these families of children, sexual assault survivors, veterans and people with disabilities who found some semblance of community in this encampment. I truly don’t understand how City Manager Howard Chan and his employees can justify their inhumanity toward people who already have so little.
Julie Snyder
Sacramento
More violence
“Sacramento clears highly-visible homeless camp on Fair Oaks Boulevard. Was it legal?” (sacbee.com, April 11)
A few days ago, city officials and community members gathered at a candlelight vigil to decry the violence that took the lives of six individuals. Now, apparently under pressure from Sacramento County and business owners, the city has inflicted another kind of violence on people who were living in the encampment at Fair Oaks and Howe.
In an act that might have been illegal, city crews forced people to leave the camp and then destroyed their belongings. Many had nowhere to go; shelters were full. Women, in particular, faced the risk of sexual assault without the protection of the camp.
I mourn for our entire community. We have been wounded over and over as we watch those we elected neglect the most vulnerable among us. Like those evicted from the camp, I feel powerless and ashamed of the city I call home.
Susan M. Kenney
Carmichael
Bold action
“I glued my hand to a table during a committee hearing at the California Capitol. Here’s why,” (sacbee.com, April 12)
A 2021 Bloomberg News survey informed us that 35% of Americans are making a conscious effort to cut back on meat. It would be no great leap to assume those numbers are even higher in California. Nevertheless, a bill that would not even cut down the number of factory farms and slaughterhouses – it would simply curtail their expansion – was killed by our lobby-owned legislature without even a hearing.
Because Carla Cabral engaged in a bold act of protest, at least that legislative failure did not go entirely unnoticed by the public.
Karen Dawn
Santa Barbara
Ag disaster
“I glued my hand to a table during a committee hearing at the California Capitol. Here’s why,” (sacbee.com, April 12)
I’m deeply distressed by industrial agriculture’s practice of grazing cattle on public land; by its deforestation practices; and by the profound damage that consuming meat is having on our land, water, air and personal health. We must address the role these practices are having on the warming of our planet. We must end commercial animal feeding operations and slaughterhouses, which are at the root of these issues.
The agricultural lobby is holding onto their power with the help of politicians. We need immediate change.
Elaine Livesey-Fassel
Los Angeles
Kings defender
“‘Love it here’: Gentry hopes to keep job with Kings after season ends with win over Suns,” (sacbee.com, April 10)
I’m so tired of seeing the Sacramento Kings get bashed every week in The Sacramento Bee. I continue to support our team, which has experienced nonstop problems within the organization.
The team has shown amazing resilience and still wins without some of its key players. Let’s give kudos to Alvin Gentry, who had to pick up the pieces after Luke Walton was fired. Gentry did the best he could with what he had. I’m looking forward to a new season next year and will continue to cheer on our Sactown team.
Kathy Andreis
El Dorado Hills