Why won’t Sacramento let Land Park residents fill up on city’s abundance of mulch? | Opinion
Mayoral candidate
“Former Sacramento Councilman might run for mayor. Will Steinberg?” (sacbee.com, Feb. 14)
Jeff Harris has been among the most thoughtful, disciplined council members of the past decade. Neither a showboater or a special-interest panderer, Harris does his homework first and backs up his positions on public safety, water policy, homelessness, planning and parks.
Harris is consummately non-partisan, socially responsible and compassionate. His restraint and effectiveness in staying above the fray with some incredibly strident and divisive local personalities has been remarkable. Sacramento could not go far wrong with that kind of mayoral leadership.
Damon Schwartz
Sacramento
Mulch ado about nothing
“How much does it cost to buy a home in Land Park/South Land Park?” (sacbee.com, Feb. 9)
Land Park has giant piles of mulch from trees downed from the recent storms. I grabbed my old sheets and pitchfork to get some for my garden. While there, I encountered a city employee working a frontloader, putting the mulch into incredibly large dumpsters. I flagged him down and asked if I could take some mulch and was told I could not.
I ended up just going to the other side of the huge pile and filling up my sheets, without incident.
I couldn’t believe that the city would be actively discouraging people from obtaining mulch. It saves the mulch from going to the landfill and helps us retain moisture and use less water.
These piles are going to be there for a while and I think it should be open to the public from dawn to dusk, which are the hours of the park. Please encourage people to use mulch!
Tonja Edelman
Sacramento
Too little, too late
“Sacramento to reopen homeless site at Miller Park, but it will look different. Here’s how,” (sacbee.com, Feb. 14)
A campsite at Miller Park is open, then closed. A council member objects; the city manager relents and reopens the site, this time with trailers which have been sitting, unused, for over a year and a half.
The campsite, which once sheltered 80 people, will now shelter 45. This is progress? The campsite serves as a symbol of the failure of leadership in Sacramento to effectively address the issue of homelessness — as 9,300 people continue to live outdoors and with millions of tax dollars spent with little tangible evidence of improvement over the dire situation.
City Manager Howard Chan says the city looks “forward to announcing and implementing additional strategies to address homelessness in the near future.” How about addressing the situation now?
Bill Motmans
Sacramento
Robin Hood is MIA
“Placer, Sacramento counties get affordable housing designation,” (sacbee.com, Feb 4)
There is one glaring item missing in all the talk about affordable housing and that is the need for more well-paying jobs. There was a time in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s where most workers were paid enough money to afford market rate housing. Not anymore!
Now we have jobs that don’t pay a livable wage while two rapacious billionaires have their own private space programs. Where is Robin Hood now when we need him?
John Reiger
Sacramento
Bad judgment
“Progressive Caity Maple votes for police armored vehicle,” (sacbee.com, Feb. 2)
The Rook may not be a tank as The Bee declared in its Feb. 2 headline, but it’s certainly much more than a “tractor” as Council Member Caity Maple describes it in her published reply in the paper on Feb. 8.
The Rook is military-style equipment, and it is a regrettable, poorly timed purchase for Sacramento. The outcome will likely be a decreased trust of the police and the city council. We are in far greater need of a thorough review of police policies, both on paper and as implemented, and a focus on how to decrease the causes of crime and violence in Sacramento.
Cynthia L Fowler
Sacramento Friends Quaker Meeting
Mourned section
“Wall Street slips on worries about high inflation, rates,” (sacbee.com, Feb. 15)
Pray tell: Where, oh where, will I find the financial section in the print edition? I miss it.
Ann Moore
El Dorado Hills
Heroic act
“A caddie collapsed at Pebble Beach. A Sacramento sheriff’s deputy rushed course to help,” (sacbee.com, Feb. 10)
What a great story of human kindness when Sacramento Deputy Sgt. Kelly Bunn saw the caddie for golfer Geoff Couch collapse on the golf course at Pebble Beach and jumped into action.
Too many people watch tragedies occur from the sidelines when sometimes there is something they can do to make the situation less traumatic. Kudos to you, Sgt. Bunn, for responding immediately and running out on the course to perform CPR (and kudos to your wife for encouraging you!) This is Girl Scout cookie season, and I’m sending you a carton in appreciation!
Claire Gliddon
Fair Oaks
Impending doom
“Turkey quake revives debate over nuclear plant being built,” (sacbee.com, Feb. 15)
California, and the nation, faces a catastrophe that would make the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria look like pocket change. As Diablo Canyon’s senior safety inspector said, the plant should have been shut down years ago due to a faulty licensing process. Crucial seismic data which would have indicated that the plant is vulnerable to a strong earthquake was disregarded.
A structural collapse at Diablo Canyon could result in a radioactive plume extending over the Central Valley. Then the loss of life and the growing capacity of the Central Valley would make California a ghost state. Why take a chance? Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant should be closed yesterday.
Larry Dorshkiind
Redwood City