Roseville high school parental notification policy is an ‘abomination’ | Opinion

Abomination

“Roseville high school board votes for parental notification,” (sacbee.com, Nov. 10)

Every day, children and teens are abused physically, emotionally and sexually, including teens who attend Roseville high schools. All decent people wish that were not true, but, statistically, it is our reality. So superimposing a “Father/Mother Knows Best” fantasy on their lives does not make it so; it only locks them into a world of isolation with no escape.

Parental notification policies endanger children by making it unsafe for them to seek help. This puts them at increased risk for additional abuse, isolation, anxiety, depression, PTSD and suicide. Studies of adults who manage to survive such childhoods and break the chain of abuse found one common denominator: a single caring adult. Parental notification rules block safe access to those caring adults.

This is an abomination for anyone who truly cares about children.

Kathy Campbell, MFT

Sacramento

Not the answer

“CA must implement forest restoration work to necessary scale,” (sacbee.com, Nov. 6)

This op-ed author leaves a burning question unanswered: What is the solution? Rather than backing firefighters, home hardening or science-based forest management, the author touts Golden State Natural Resources.

But GSNR will undercut efforts to lessen wildfires and harm communities while profiting off lucrative foreign subsidies. They plan to produce a million tons of wood pellets yearly for export markets. Also known as biomass energy, wood pellets carry a climate-polluting and community-harming reputation.

Scientists tell us that burning trees increases carbon pollution compared to coal; public health experts tell us burning biomass emits harmful air pollutants; and communities tell us that they’re sick of biomass producers.

Biomass production isn’t the answer and will only fuel our wildfire problem. With a rapidly changing climate, we must accelerate community adaptation and preparation efforts.

Rita Vaughan Frost

San Francisco

Protect through hardening

“CA must implement forest restoration work to necessary scale,” (sacbee.com, Nov. 6)

The most effective way to protect homes and communities from fire is through home hardening and the maintenance of defensible space up to 100 feet away and not cutting down forests and chipping them for export as fuel pellets on the international market.

A single house in Lahaina was surrounded by homes razed to the ground because the owners had, by chance, in restoring the building, done what was most needed for fire protection. Scientists worldwide have stated that the best way to combat climate change is to protect existing forests. Clearing forests makes way for wind-driven flying embers that cause 95% of the fires that destroy homes.

The biomass energy industry incentivizes deforestation. It is not clean, but highly toxic, causing asthma, lung disease and cancer. It is not renewable or sustainable, given the length of time it takes for trees to grow.

Protect lives, homes and forests.

Jenny Blaker

Cotati

Effective permits

“New parking plan at Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly impacts visitors,” (sacbee.com, Nov. 10)

I was thrilled to learn about the parking permits enforced near Heavenly Resort in South Lake Tahoe to reduce clogged roads due to legal and illegal visitor parking. These permits will only be given to residents, forcing visitors to park outside of residential areas.

As a past resident of the neighborhood in the Heavenly Valley, visitor parking and traveling in the neighborhood streets has been detrimental to its year-long residents. Visitors damage properties and block driveways and roads, leaving residents with constant hazards in the winter months. These permits will surely improve Heavenly Valley residents’ daily lives. These permits must become permanent to ensure that the improvements made will stick.

Lillybelle Skeie

South Lake Tahoe

Foolish

“Sacramento to inspect garbage cans for food waste,” (sacbee.com, Nov. 8)

Senate Bill 1383 enacted in 2016 is an example of a bill that is unneeded and will put a financial strain on the citizens of California with results that are miniscule at best. To think that California’s landfills are going to have an impact on a planet of 8 billion people is silly. This is one many bills in the pursuit of a perfect environment undamaged by humans which will never exist. Each bill enacted will just saddle Californian’s with more expenses.

One volcanic eruption or major wildfire negates any environmental improvement that we attempt. It’s time to repeal SB 1383.

Michael Santos

Antelope

This story was originally published November 19, 2023 at 6:00 AM.