Sacramento Bee readers react to extreme heat, Mosquito Fire, PG&E and climate change
Dissolve PG&E
“CA Mosquito Fire passes 64000 acres; crews guard Foresthill,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 15)
Another fire possibly started by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. rages through California, destroying thousands of acres of beautiful forest and costing millions of dollars in damages.
How many hundreds of thousands of acres, billions of dollars of damage and lives lost isPG&E responsible for? PG&E continues to pay dividends to stockholders and large compensation packages to its executives at the cost of neglecting its infrastructure. That neglected infrastructure, meanwhile, continues to cause fires. When is PG&E going to be held accountable?
The collateral damage in health care costs that will be incurred due to smoke from these fires can’t be estimated and won’t be known for decades.
The state needs to sue PG&E for costs and dissolve the company. Stop the death and destruction now. Put our state over corporate profit.
Dale Coco
Cameron Park
Collective action
“Californians were in peril during a heatwave. Their neighbors rose to the occasion,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 10)
Your article about Californians coming together to reduce energy usage and avoid rolling power outages demonstrates the power of collective action. This is exactly the type of cooperation we’ll need to address climate change.
Too many people feel climate change is too big to tackle, but this shows how little actions can make a big difference. Whether you make small changes (like switching to recycled toilet paper or reducing your plastic usage), make big changes (buying an electric vehicle) or choose to donate to groups protecting rainforests or planting trees, your actions matter.
Starting Jan. 1, consumers will be able to get significant tax credits for energy upgrades to their homes. This will benefit not only homeowners but also all of society as we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and demand on the grid. Together, we can make a difference.
Lisa Howard
Rocklin
Protect students
“Del Oro player collapses during practice in record heat,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 8)
Extreme heat causes more deaths every year than any other weather-related event. For a coach to conduct a football practice in 115-degree heat after an excessive heat warning had been issued seems as much like child endangerment as leaving a child in a hot car.
In an area where excessive heat is common, I found it disturbing that Del Oro doesn’t have a heat practice policy in place. Even without a formal policy, it seems an excessive heat warning, along with plain common sense, should have been enough.
It’s encouraging that the school wants to work with the district “to get something in place.” That should be the highest priority.
Bonnie E. Peterson
Citrus Heights
Garamendi makes progress
“UN sums up climate science: world heading in wrong direction,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 13)
The Yolo Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby thanks Rep. John Garamendi for voting for the Inflation Reduction Act. The biggest climate legislation ever passed in the U.S., this bill is a step in the right direction. It makes investments in renewable energy, electric vehicles and sustainable land practices.
We also thank Garamendi for cosponsoring the bipartisan National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act. This bill sets the framework necessary for responding to ever-increasing climate-induced disasters.
At 18 and 77, we are the youngest and oldest members of our Citizens Climate Lobby chapter. We admire Garamendi’s work on an issue that’s important for future generations.
Stuart Pettygrove and Jared Umphress
Davis
Kiley’s priorities
“EXPLAINER: Lower prescription prices to take time in new law,” (sacbee.com, Aug. 26)
Prescription drugs are too expensive, and the price variations among pharmacies are so confusing that the system looks like an outrageous shell game. We deserve better.
One congressional candidate in the Placer County-based 3rd District, Dr. Kermit Jones, recommends allowing Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate reasonable drug prices and putting a cap on out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.
His opponent, Kevin Kiley, was one of only seven Assembly members to vote against a bill to lower prescription drug prices and one of only four to oppose capping insulin prices.
Who are Kiley’s constituents? The people who need prescription drugs or the hugely profitable drug manufacturers?
Jeff Kane
Nevada City
No faith
“Chief Justice Roberts defends legitimacy of court,” (sacbee.com, Sept. 10)
Chief Justice John Roberts asks us to support the Supreme Court based on our “faith” in its ability to interpret the law. Apparently, it doesn’t bother Roberts that his scorned majority was made possible only by the scorned Senate’s dishonest maneuvering.
Nor should we concern ourselves about the Federalist Society justices who regularly discard precedent to eviscerate long-standing protections of privacy, choice and equality.
Crucial to Roberts is the collegiality among justices and the court’s tradition of shaking hands before conferences. Well, curtsies and hand-shaking are impressive in royal families; not so much among oppressive jurists.
The court’s role, Roberts says, should not be called into question just because people disagree with its decisions. But there should be an exception for a pattern of cruel, destabilizing decisions. Roberts will not succeed in restoring legitimacy to the court by praising its meaningless chumminess.
His dubious defense does not inspire faith.
John Adkisson
Sacramento